A comprehensive overview of Spanish plurals, including rules for regular and irregular nouns, exceptions, and special cases.
In Spanish, forming plurals is generally straightforward, but there are important rules and exceptions to know. Most nouns add -s or -es, but spelling or accent changes may be needed. Below is a complete guide to Spanish pluralization.
. Regular Plural Rules
Spanish nouns end in a vowel, consonant, or -z. Each ending has a standard plural rule:
| Singular Ending | Plural Ending | Example Singular | Example Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vowel (a, e, i, o, u) | -s | libro | libros | book | books |
| Consonant (except z) | -es | papel | papeles | paper | papers |
| -z | -ces | lápiz | lápices | pencil | pencils |
. Accent Mark Changes
If a singular noun has a written accent on the last syllable, the accent is dropped in the plural:
| Singular | Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| sofá | sofás | sofa | sofas |
| rubí | rubíes | ruby | rubies |
| árbol | árboles | tree | trees |
. Special Endings and Exceptions
Nouns Ending in -s or -x (Unstressed Syllable)
Some nouns end in -s or -x in an unstressed syllable and remain the same in plural:
| Singular | Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| el análisis | los análisis | analysis | analyses |
| el tórax | los tórax | thorax | thoraxes |
| el estrés | los estrés | stress | stresses |
Nouns Ending in -s or -x (Stressed Syllable)
If the last syllable is stressed, add -es and keep the accent:
| Singular | Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| el sofá | los sofás | sofa | sofas |
| el autóx | los autóxes | autox | autoxes |
. Irregular Plurals
Nouns Ending in -z
Change -z to -c before adding -es:
| Singular | Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| lápiz | lápices | pencil | pencils |
| cruz | cruces | cross | crosses |
Compound Nouns
Only the main noun changes to plural:
| Singular | Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| el paraguas | los paraguas | umbrella | umbrellas |
| el sacapuntas | los sacapuntas | pencil sharpener | pencil sharpeners |
| el abrelatas | los abrelatas | can opener | can openers |
. Gender and Plural Agreement
Adjectives and articles also change to plural and match the noun’s gender:
| Singular | Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| el libro rojo | los libros rojos | the red book | the red books |
| la casa blanca | las casas blancas | the white house | the white houses |
| el niño inteligente | los niños inteligentes | the smart boy | the smart boys |
| la niña inteligente | las niñas inteligentes | the smart girl | the smart girls |
. Summary
- Add -s if the noun ends in a vowel.
- Add -es if the noun ends in a consonant (except -z).
- Change -z to -c and add -es.
- Drop accent marks on the last syllable in plural unless the stress shifts.
- Some nouns ending in -s or -x don’t change if the last syllable is unstressed.
- Only the main noun changes in compound nouns.
- Make adjectives and articles agree in number and gender.
Flashcards (1 of 20)
- Singular Ending: Vowel (a, e, i, o, u)
- Plural Ending: -s
- Example Singular: libro
- Example Plural: libros
- English Singular: book
- English Plural: books
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
