Nouns that exist only in the singular or plural form
In English, there are several nouns that exist only in the plural form. Except for a few, they all
end in –s.
Examples are:
Amends (to make ‘amends’ for causing some loss)
Annals (pages of books of history)
Archives
Arms (weapons)
Arrears
Ashes (of a dead cremated body)
Auspices (patronage)
Bowels
Brains (intellect)
Contents
Customs (duty)
Earnings
Entrails
Fireworks
Funds (money)
Goods
Guts (bowels, courage)
Letters (in the expression ‘a man of letters’)
Looks (e.g. She has got attractive looks)
Manners (in the expression ‘good manners’)
Odds (in the expression ‘heavy odds’)
Outskirts
Pains (e.g. to take pains)
Premises (building)
Riches (wealth)
Stairs (e.g. a flight of stairs)
Surroundings (environment)
Thanks
Troops
Tropics
Valuables
Wages
Proceeds
Tidings
Nuptials
Alms
Drawers
The following are unmarked plurals which do not end in –s. Examples are: cattle and plural.
Some words ending in –s do not change in the plural. Examples are:
Barracks
Crossroads
Headquarters
Means
Series
Species
Works (= factory)
Swiss
Special cases
Some singular uncountable nouns end in –s. They have no plural forms. Examples are: news,
billiards, draughts, measles etc.
Measles is highly contagious.
Most words ending in –ics are also usually singular uncountables and have no plurals.
Examples are: mathematics, physics, athletics, politics.
Politics is a dirty game.
Mathematics isn’t the easiest of all subjects.
Other nouns which do not change in the plural are craft, sheep, fish and deer.