Plural Nouns and Your Ear
1. Read aloud the sentences below and listen closely to the last sound of the
underlined word in each sentence. For each, consider whether or not that last
sound matches the last sound of the word buzz. If the last sound of the
underlined word does match the last sound of the word buzz, write yes in the
blank at the end of the sentence.
a. There are bugs on this plant.
b. The pears are rotten.
c. There are two birds in the sky.
Are the underlined words plural? Circle the correct answer: yes
no
Using the evidence in sentences a, b, and c, write a very simple rule, or
hypothesis, for making nouns plural in English. State the rule in terms of what
sound must be added to a noun to make it plural.
Apply this hypothesis, or rule, to each word below. If the plural sounds right with
only a Z sound added to the end, circle the word. If the plural is hard to say or
does not sound quite right, put a check beside it.
pig
lunch
rat
cloud
judge
rock
shape
star
Look at each word you circled. In your view, why do the results sound right?
Look at each word you checked. In your view, why don’t the results sound right
or why is the plural difficult to say?
2. The sentences below contain words which illustrate the different sounds of the
plural ending in English.
 Read each sentence aloud. Listen carefully to the plural endings of the
underlined words.
 Circle each word that ends with a Z sound.
 Put a dot above each plural ending that sounds different from the Z sound.
a. All of the spoons and cups and dishes are on the table.
b. There are goats and horses and cows on the farm.
Some of the plural endings sound the same. On each line below, write the word
from sentence (a) and the word from sentence (b) that have plural endings that
sound the same.
Pair 1: a.
b.
Pair 2: a.
b.
Pair 3: a.
b.
Grouping Plurals
Say the plurals for the following words aloud. Listen closely to how each plural
ending sounds.
 Then, on the lines below, put the words which have plural endings that
sound alike in a single group.
 Continue until you have put all the words into groups according to how
their plural endings sound.
graph
shape
tree
watch
rat
bush
myth
rib
dove
lie
bells
hen
wish
room
cloud
breeze
judge
fuse
lunch
snake
law
box
pig
day
rock
star
kiss
bus
toe
crew
Growing a Hypothesis
1. Review your work on #2 and on the handout “Grouping Plurals.” Consider what
patterns appear that indicate how nouns are pluralized.
Now, compose a simple rule—hypothesis—for the phonology of noun plurals in
English.
(Hint: Say the words in each group without adding the plural ending. Listen
to the final sound of each word. Describe the sounds that require one plural
ending rather than another. Then write a rule for each plural sound.)
2. Now, think. Do your rules explain how all plural nouns are formed in English?
Why or why not?
3. Which of the following statements (adapted from Halle & Clements 1983:69)
best matches your rules (or hypotheses) about the unconscious knowledge
English speakers have about making nouns plural? Explain why you think so.
?Hypothesis A: English speakers memorize the plural form for every noun as it
occurs in their experience.
?Hypothesis B: English speakers learn the plural form on the basis of spelling.
That is, if a word ends in the letter b, they know that they have to add the plural
ending Z (/z/).
?Hypothesis C: English speakers know that the final sound of a singular noun (not
the letter) determines the way the plural ending is pronounced. That is, they
have memorized a list of English speech sounds to be followed by S (a hiss) (/s/);
another list to be followed by Z (/z/); and a third list to be followed by IZ (/iz/).
?Hypothesis D: English speakers know that if the final sound of a singular noun is
of a certain type, the plural ending will be S (/s/); that if the final sound is of
another type, it will be Z (/z/); and that if the final sound is of a third type it will be
IZ (/iz/). In other words, the speakers have not memorized three lists of speech
sounds in order to form plural nouns. Instead, they have figured out which sound
types are relevant for making nouns plural in English.
4. Let’s assume one more thing about the sound system (phonology) of plural
nouns in English. Let’s assume that regular English nouns add S to make a plural
ending.
 Then, the first step in making a noun plural is to add S /s/: catS, dogS, dishS,
for example.
 What steps need to be added to the explanation to explain the actual
plurals: catS, dogZ, dishIZ?
Answer:
To answer this question fully, you need to describe sound types given in
Hypothesis D.