Uncountable Treasures: English Words Without a Plural Form

Did you know that some words in English don’t have a plural form?

We use some everyday English words only in the singular form, even when there are more than one.

Let’s explore a few of these words.

No matter how many you have, we don’t say “informations,” “knowledges,” “advices” or “furnitures.”

Interesting, isn’t it?

So how can we discuss multiple items if they don’t have a plural version?

Here’s the answer …

1. Context is King: Sometimes, the words around these special words tell us if we mean one or more. Take this sentence, for example: “The knowledge from the course was invaluable.” Even though we say “knowledge,” we know that we mean more than one piece of knowledge.
2. Use Quantifiers: You can be more specific in your language by using phrases such as ‘a piece of’, ‘bit of’, or ‘items of’ before some words. For example, “I need a piece of advice,” “I have a bit of information to share” and “I bought four items of furniture.”
3. Use Additional Words: If you want to make these words plural, you can add more words. Instead of saying “knowledges,” you can say “kinds of knowledge” or “areas of knowledge.”
4. Use Synonyms: There are often other words that mean almost the same thing but can be used in the plural. Instead of saying “furniture,” you can say “chairs,” “tables” or “shelves.”

Do you know other English words without a plural form?