Plurals Flashcards

Plural Forms in English and Medical Terminology

• Plural of Viscus is Viscera.
• Plural of Crus is Crura.
• Plural of Corpus is Corpora.
• Plural of Meatus remains Meatus.
• Plural of Plexus remains Plexus.

General Rules for Creating Plurals

• Words ending in -us typically change to -i in plural form.
• Words ending in -a usually have an -e added for the plural.
• Words ending in -um often replace the ending with -a.
• -en endings change to -ina in plural form.
• For words ending in -is, the plural form is created by changing to -es.

Specific Plural Exceptions

• Arthritis changes to Arthritides by replacing -s with -des.
• Cuspis becomes Cuspides via the same method.
• Iris changes to Irides following the same rule.
• Words ending in -ex or -ix commonly change to -ices, except reflex becomes reflexes.
• Words ending in -x become -ces in plural form.
• Words ending in -x and preceded by n change to -ges.

Singular Forms and Special Cases

• Adnexa has no singular form.
• Words that end in -oma or -gma take -ta for their plural form.
• Genitalia also has no singular form.

Basic Pluralization Rules

• For most nouns, simply add -s to create the plural, such as sample = samples and doctor = doctors.
• For nouns ending in -s, -z, -ch, -sh, or nonmedical -x, add -es to form the plural, e.g., dish = dishes.
• When a word ends in -y preceded by a consonant, change the -y to -i and add -es (e.g., allergy = allergies). If preceded by a vowel, simply add -s (e.g., play = plays).