Don’t let these plural forms trip you up

The rules of English spelling can bewilder even the most seasoned communicator.
Writers and editors see it daily. I recently had to check the spelling of “subterfuge” because the word was dancing before my eyes. Could that really be the spelling? (It was.)
One of the particularly challenging parts of English spelling and grammar is finding correct plural forms. These can trip writers up, because they’re difficult to spell and difficult to pronounce.
Below are 29 tricky plurals:
1. antennae
2. asterisks
3. attorneys general
4. axes (plural of axis)
5. bases (plural of basis)
6. courts-martial
7. culs-de-sac
8. diagnoses
9. dos and don’ts
10. emphases
11. hippopotami
12. jacks-in-the-box
13. jack-o-lanterns
14. memos
15. mongooses
16. mothers-in-law
17. mottoes (plural of motto)
18. neuroses
19. oases (plural of oasis)
20. octopuses
21. parentheses
22. passersby
23. plateau
24. runners-up
25. sheaves (plural of sheaf)
26. staves (plural of staff)
27. syllabi
28. theses (plural of thesis)
29. yeses and nos
Which tricky plural forms would you add to this list?
Laura Hale Brockway is an Austin-based writer and editor and a regular contributor to PR Daily. Read more from her at impertinentremarks.com.
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