# Afrikaans/Vocabulary/Irregular Plurals

Below is a list of irregular plurals in Afrikaans or plurals that are not as obvious as should seem. This list does not take commonality into account, so certain words may be supplanted by others in actual use.

### Short Vowels

Irregular Forms w/Pronunciation :
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. | Sing. Pronunciation | Plur. Pronunciation | Extra Notes |
| advice; counsel | raad | raadgewinge raadgewings | /rɑːt/ | /rɑːtˈχɪə̯.vəŋə/ | |
| bid | bod bot | botte | /bot/ | /ˈbot.tə/ | |
| (black)smith | smid | smede | /smət/ | /smˈɪə̯də/ | |
| blessing | seën | seëninge | /sɪə̯n/ | /ˈsɪə̯nəŋə/ | |
| commandment | gebod | gebooie | /χəˈbot/ | /χəˈboːi̯ə/ | |
| city | stad | stede | /stat/ | /ˈstɪə̯də/ | |
| dale | dal | dale | /dal/ | /ˈdɑːlə/ | |
| defect; flaw | gebrek | gebreke | /χəˈbrɛk/ | /χəˈbrɪə̯kə/ | |
| dwarf | dwerg | dwerge | /dwɛrχ/ | /ˈdwɛr.ɡə/ | Form isn't irregular; Pronunciation is. |
| enjoyment; delight | genot | genietinge genietings | /χəˈnot/ | /χəˈni.təŋə/ | |
| (narrow) footbridge ladder bridge | steg | stegge | /stɛχ/ | /stɛχə/ | |
| game | spel | spele | /spɛl/ | /ˈspɪə̯lə/ | |
| glass | glas | glase | /χlas/ | /ˈχlɑːsə/ | |
| god | god | gode | /χot/ | /ˈχʊədə/ | |
| hole | gat | gate | /χat/ | /ˈχɑːtə/ | |
| member | lid | lede | /lət/ | /ˈlɪə̯də/ | |
| mountain | berg | berge | /bɛrχ/ | /ˈbɛr.ɡə/ | Form isn't irregular; Pronunciation is. |
| offer, proffer | aanbod | aanbiedinge | /ˈɑːn.bot/ | /ˈɑːn.bi.dəŋə/ | |
| order | bevel | bevele | /bəˈfɛl/ | /bəˈfɪə̯lə/ | |
| page | blad | blaaie | /blat/ | /blɑːɪ̯ə/ | |
| prayer | gebed | gebede | /χəˈbɛt/ | /χəˈbɪə̯də/ | |
| rank, file, line | gelid | geledere | /χəˈlət/ | /χəˈlɪə̯.dərə/ | |
| road | pad | paaie | /pat/ | /pɑːɪ̯ə/ | |
| shirt | hemp | hemde | /ɦɛmp/ | /ˈɦɛmdə/ | |
| ship | skip | skepe | /skəp/ | /ˈskɪə̯pə/ | |
| siege | beleg | beleëringe beleërings | /bəˈlɛχ/ | /bəˈlɪə̯.rəŋə/ /bəˈlɪə̯.rəŋs/ | |
| time | tyd | tye | /tyt/ | /ˈtyə/ | |
| tortoise | skilpad | skilpaaie | /skəlˈpat/ | /skəlˈpɑːɪ̯ə/ | |

### Long Vowels

Irregular Forms :
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. |
| corporal | korporaal | korporaals |
| cousin | neef | neefs |
| uncle | oom | ooms |

### Diphthongs

Irregular Forms :
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. |
| boy; son | seun | seuns |
| brother | broer | broers |
| lion | leeu | leeus |
| an (olden) rifle | roer | roers |

### Plurals with a Circumflex

Important "-f" Irregulars :
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. | Sing. Pronunciation | Plur. Pronunciation | Extra Notes |
| back | rug | rûe | /rœχ/ | /rœːə/ | |
| bridge | brug | brûe brugge | /brœχ/ | /brœːə/ | /brœːχə/ |
| harrow | eg | eê egge | /æχ/ | /æːə/ | /æːχə/ |
| ridge | rug | rûens | /rœχ/ | /rœːəns/ | |
| sow | sog | sôe sogge | /sɔχ/ | /soːə/ | /soːχə/ |
| trough | trog | trôe | /trɔχ/ | /troːə/ | |
| wedge | wig | wîe | /vəχ/ | /vəːə/ | |

### Ending in "-ie"

In every instance, the below words pluralize as "-ieë".
Irregular Forms :
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. | Alt. Plur. |
| alkali | alkali | alkalië | alkali's |
| allegory | allegorie | allegorieë | |
| allergy | allergie | allergieë | |
| amnesty | amnestie | amnestieë | |
| amphibian | amfibie | ambifieë | |
| analogy | analogie | analogieë | |
| anomaly | anomalie | anomalieë | |
| antinomy | antinomie | antinomieë | |
| antipathy | antipatie | antipatieë | |
| apology | apologie | apologieë | |
| artery | arterie | arterieë | |
| bacterium (-a) | bakterie | bakterieë | bakteries |
| bibliography | bibliografie | bibliografieë | |
| biography | biografie | biografieë | |
| bibliography | bibliografie | bibliografieë | |
| cacography | kakografie | kakografieë | |
| cacophony | kakofonie | kakofonieë | |
| category | kategorie | kategorieë | |
| causerie | causerie | causerieë | |
| chrestomathy | chrestomatie | chrestomatieë | |
| copy | kopie | kopieë | |
| deanery | dekanie | dekanieë | |
| domicile | domisilie | domisilieë | |
| doxology | doksologie | doksologieë | |
| drapery | draperie | draperieë | |
| dynasty | dinastie | dinastieë | |
| elegy | elegie | elegieë | |
| fairyland | feërie | feërieë | |
| fantasy | fantasie | fantasieë | |
| felony | felonie | felonieë | |
| fury | furie | furieë | |
| genealogy | genealogie | genealogieë | |
| genius | genie | genieë | |
| gram calorie | gramkalorie | gramkalorieë | |
| haplography | haplografie | haplografieë | |
| harmony | harmonie | harmonieë | |
| hierachy | hiërargie | hiërargieë | |
| homily | homilie | homilieë | |
| ideology | ideologie | ideologieë | |
| industry | industrie | industrieë | |
| knie | knie | knieë | |
| industry | industrie | industrieë | |
| melody | melodie | melodieë | |
| monopoly | monopolie | monopolieë | |
| parochial board | diakonie | diakonieë | |
| phantasmagoria | fantasmagorie | fantasmagorieë | |
| phototype | fototipie | fototipieë | |
| phylactery | filakterie | filakterieë | |
| theory | teorie | teorieë | |
| (rugby) try | drie | drieë | |

### Ending in "-f"

Important "-f" Irregulars :
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. | Sing. Pronunciation | Plur. Pronunciation |
| plot (of land) | erf | erwe | | |
| court (of law) | hof | howe | /ɦɔf/ | /ˈɦʊə.və/ |
| grave | graf | grafte | | |

### "-ere" and "-ens" plurals

Forms :
| Ending in -ere |||
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. |
| good | goed | goedere |
| nation, people | volk | volke volkere |
| song | lied | liedere |
| state of mind and heart | gemoed | gemoedere |
| Ending in -ens |||
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. |
| bed | bed | beddens |
| bath | bad | baddens |
| feeling | gevoel | gevoelens |
| guy | ou | ouens |
| hat | hoed | hoede hoedens |
| heap, stack, pile | mied | miede miedens |
| pig | vark | varke varkens |
| sweetheart | nooi | nooiens |
| wagon | wa | waens |
| woman | vrou | vroue vrouens |
| young | jong | jongens |
| young lady | juffrou | juffroue juffrouens |

### Words with Two Plurals

In such a list, the more common forms are given first.
Irregular Forms :
| English | Afrikaans Sing. | Afrikaans Plur. |
| phobia | fobie | fobies fobieë |
| meerkat | meerkat | meerkatte meerkaaie |
| museum | museum | museums musea |
| terminus | terminus | terminusse termini |
| technician | tegnikus | tegnikusse tegnici |