(:title Irregular plurals:)
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PICS:arrowlink.gif"internal link" [[FORUM:quiz.php?c=3 | Nouns and articles exercises]] PICS:link_icon.gif"link"[[AXS:ax.pl?http://www.snvt.hum.uva.nl/Taalunieversum/Web/SIBData/resources/grammar/015.htm | Noun Zero Plural - Taalunieversum]]
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There is a modest list of irregular plural nouns. The irregularity lies in the change of the last syllable's vowel. 

!!Short vowel turning into a long vowel

Recall that a short vowel needs to stay short and long vowel long. Most irregular nouns have vowels that turn into long ones because we do not correct for vowel length (see [[SpellingAndPronunciation.21 | rules for keeping vowels short/long]]).
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(:table width='90%' align='center' cellspacing='0' class='gray':)
(:cellnr width='33%' class='gray':)het bad
(:cell width='33%' class='gray':)de baden
(:cell width='34%' class='i':)the baths
(:cellnr class='gray':)het bedrag
(:cell class='gray':)de bedragen
(:cell class='i':)the amounts
(:cellnr class='gray':)het bevel
(:cell class='gray':)de bevelen
(:cell class='i':)the orders, commands
(:cellnr class='gray':)het blad
(:cell class='gray':)de bladen
(:cell class='i':)the sheets (of paper)
(:cellnr class='gray':)de dag
(:cell class='gray':)de dagen
(:cell class='i':)the days
(:cellnr class='gray':)het dak
(:cell class='gray':)de daken
(:cell class='i':)the roofs
(:cellnr class='gray':)het dal
(:cell class='gray':)de dalen
(:cell class='i':)the valleys
(:cellnr class='gray':)het gat
(:cell class='gray':)de gaten
(:cell class='i':)the holes
(:cellnr class='gray':)het gebod
(:cell class='gray':)de geboden
(:cell class='i':)the commands
(:cellnr class='gray':)het gelag
(:cell class='gray':)de gelagen
(:cell class='i':)the tavern
(:cellnr class='gray':)het gebed
(:cell class='gray':)de gebeden
(:cell class='i':)the prayers
(:cellnr class='gray':)het gebrek
(:cell class='gray':)de gebreken
(:cell class='i':)the deficits
(:cellnr class='gray':)het gen
(:cell class='gray':)de genen
(:cell class='i':)the genes
(:cellnr class='gray':)de god
(:cell class='gray':)de goden
(:cell class='i':)the gods
(:cellnr class='gray':)de hertog
(:cell class='gray':)de hertogen
(:cell class='i':)the dukes
(:cellnr class='gray':)het hof
(:cell class='gray':)de hoven
(:cell class='i':)the courts, courtyards
(:cellnr class='gray':)het hol
(:cell class='gray':)de holen
(:cell class='i':)the dens
(:cellnr class='gray':)het lot
(:cell class='gray':)de loten
(:cell class='i':)the lottery tickets
(:cellnr class='gray':)de oorlog
(:cell class='gray':)de oorlogen
(:cell class='i':)the wars
(:cellnr class='gray':)het pad
(:cell class='gray':)de paden
(:cell class='i':)the paths
(:cellnr class='gray':)''but: de pad ''
(:cell class='gray':)''de padden  ''
(:cell class='i':)''the toads ''
(:cellnr class='gray':)het schot
(:cell class='gray':)de schoten
(:cell class='i':)the shots
(:cellnr class='gray':)de slag
(:cell class='gray':)de slagen
(:cell class='i':)the hits, blows
(:cellnr class='gray':)het slot
(:cell class='gray':)de sloten
(:cell class='i':)the locks
(:cellnr class='gray':)het spel
(:cell class='gray':)de spelen
(:cell class='i':)the games
(:cellnr class='gray':)de staf
(:cell class='gray':)de staven
(:cell class='i':)the staff
(:cellnr class='gray':)het vat
(:cell class='gray':)de vaten
(:cell class='i':)the barrels
(:cellnr class='gray':)but: het vat
(:cell class='gray':)de vatten
(:cell class='i':)the handles
(:cellnr class='gray':)het verbod
(:cell class='gray':)de verboden
(:cell class='i':)the prohibition
(:cellnr class='gray':)het verdrag
(:cell class='gray':)de verdragen
(:cell class='i':)the treaties
(:cellnr class='gray':)het verlof
(:cell class='gray':)de verloven
(:cell class='i':)the vacations, leaves
(:cellnr class='gray':)de weg
(:cell class='gray':)de wegen
(:cell class='i':)the ways
(:tableend:)

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!!From ''i'' to ''e''

Some nouns with the letter ''i'' in the last syllable will have this vowel changed into ''e'' in the plural.    
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(:table width="90%" align="center" cellspacing="0" class="gray":)
(:cell width="33%" class="gray":)het gelid 
(:cell width="33%" class="gray":)de geled'''eren'''
(:cell class="i" width="34%":)the lines, ranks 
(:cellnr class="gray":)het lid 
(:cell class="gray":)de leden 
(:cell class="i":)the members 
(:cellnr class="gray":)het schip 
(:cell class="gray":)de schepen 
(:cell class="i":)the ship 
(:cellnr class="gray":)de smid 
(:cell class="gray":)de smeden 
(:cell class="i":)the smiths
(:tableend:)

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!!-heid / -heden  

-''heid'' is the Dutch equivalent of English endings such as -''ity'' or -''ation''. In de plural, we say -''heden''.    
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(:table width="90%" align="center" cellspacing="0" class="gray":)
(:cell valign="top" width="33%" class="gray":)de gelegenheid 
(:cell valign="top" width="33%" class="gray":)de gelegenheden
(:cell valign="top" width="34%" class="i":)the ocassions 
(:cellnr valign="top" class="gray":)de overheid      
(:cell valign="top" class="gray":)de overheden
(:cell valign="top" class="i":)the governments
(:cellnr valign="top" class="gray":)de moeilijkheid      
(:cell valign="top" class="gray":)de moeilijkheden
(:cell valign="top" class="i":)the difficulties 
(:cellnr valign="top" class="gray":)de aanwezigheid      
(:cell valign="top" class="gray":)de aanwezigheden
(:cell valign="top" class="i":)the presences
(:tableend:)
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