PROBLEM
WORDS
HEBREW WORDS ADD IM (FOR MASCULINE WORDS) OR OTH (FOR FEMININE WORDS) In a number of cases, it is acceptable to add s instead. kibbutz
kibbutzim
Ashkenazi
Ashkenazim
Sephardi
Sephardim
cherub
cherubim or cherubs
seraph
seraphim or seraphs
mitzvah
mitzvoth or mitzvahs
matzo
matzoth or matzos
Use cherubs to refer to appealing children (both their daughters were perfect cherubs), and cherubim to refer to actual angels. SOME ENGLISH WORDS TAKE UNPREDICTABLE PLURAL FORMS one mouse
two mice
one die
two dice
one foot
two feet
one ox
two oxen
one goose
two geese
one man
two men
one child
two children
SOME WORDS ARE THE SAME IN BOTH SINGULAR AND PLURAL FORM one moose
two moose
one deer
two deer
one aircraft
two aircraft
one series
two series
one sweepstakes
two sweepstakes
Native speakers easily absorb these plurals along with the more predictable ones. For those learning English as a second language, there is little to do but roll the eyes, tear at the hair and grimly memorize each one.
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