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How to pronounce scientific plurals

Listen, notice one detail, and say the word in a phrase.

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Videos and full notes: https://ipronounce.io/guides/scientific-plurals

Name: ________________________　 Date: __________________

This lesson’s listening targets

Hear the difference between the two singular–plural pairs and recognize the other listed plural endings.

Two singular–plural comparisons. Say each adjacent pair and listen to its ending. A change from singular to plural need not change the main stress.
An eez, ee, or eye ending. Appendices and phalanges end with a voiced z. Practice antennae with an ee ending and alveoli with an eye ending, without adding a final z.
Three different final vowels. Practice cacti and fungi with endings that rhyme with my, vertebrae with an ending that rhymes with day, and automata with a light final uh. Cacti, fungi, and vertebrae also have other accepted pronunciations; compare the alternatives on their word pages.

A five-word listening round

Choose five words below. Open each linked word and play its APG video.
Write one sound observation: the strongest syllable, a silent letter, a consonant connection, or a variant you hear.
Say the original practice phrase, then write and say your own sentence.
Read the word’s listening note and compare it with your observation. Repeat any word you want to revisit.

Your listening record — choose five, then return for another round
Word & video	Practice phrase	What I hear / my sentence
analysis	A careful analysis of the results.
analyses	Two independent analyses.
criterion	Clarity was the main criterion.
criteria	The committee agreed on clear criteria.
appendices	The appendices contain the survey questions and tables.
phalanges	The diagram numbers the phalanges in each finger.
antennae	The insect moved its antennae toward the leaf.
alveoli	The model shows clusters of alveoli in the lung.
cacti	The greenhouse contains several cacti.
vertebrae	The diagram labels the vertebrae.
fungi	The guide identifies several fungi.
automata	The gallery displayed several mechanical automata.

Test your pronunciation knowledge

Choose one answer for each question. The answer key includes explanations and source links.

Which ending belongs to the plural “analyses”?
1. Eez, with a final z sound
2. The shorter sis ending of analysis
3. Eye, with no final consonant
What distinguishes the ending of criteria from criterion?
1. Criteria adds a z after n.
2. Criteria has no final n.
3. Criteria ends in a long ay followed by n.
Which description fits the pronunciation of “appendices”?
1. First-syllable stress and a final s
2. Final-syllable stress and an eye ending
3. Stress on PEN and an eez ending
Which consonant sounds do ph and g represent in “phalanges”?
1. f and j
2. p and hard g
3. f and hard g
Which is a possible pronunciation pair for “antennae” and “vertebrae”?
1. Antennae ends with s; vertebrae ends with z.
2. Antennae ends with ee; vertebrae ends with ay.
3. Both words need an extra s or z at the end.
Which vowel can finish the plural “alveoli,” with no added consonant?
1. A long ee followed by z
2. A long ay followed by s
3. The eye vowel, with no added z
What sound can the g have in “fungi”?
1. The j sound in jam
2. The th sound in thin
3. The ch sound in chair
Which description fits the pronunciation of “automata”?
1. First-syllable stress, ending in ay
2. Second-syllable stress, ending in a light uh
3. Final-syllable stress, ending in eez

Show the answer key

Open this section before printing to include the answers.

A. Eez, with a final z sound “Analyses” ends /iz/, an eez sound, while the singular “analysis” ends with s. Both words keep their main beat on NAL.
Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
B. Criteria has no final n. “Criterion” ends in a light vowel followed by n. “Criteria” finishes with the light vowel alone; both words retain second-syllable stress.
Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
C. Stress on PEN and an eez ending Appendices stresses PEN and finishes with /siz/. The final consonant is voiced z, even though the written word ends in s.
Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
A. f and j “Phalanges,” fuh-LAN-jeez, uses f for ph and the j sound of jam for g. Its final ee is followed by voiced z.
Source: Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
B. Antennae ends with ee; vertebrae ends with ay. “Antennae” can end /i/, like see, and “vertebrae” can end /eɪ/, like day. The same final letters ae do not guarantee the same vowel in every word.
Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
C. The eye vowel, with no added z “Alveoli” can end /aɪ/, the vowel in my. The word is already plural and does not need an extra z after that vowel.
Source: Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
A. The j sound in jam “Fungi” can be pronounced FUN-jy, /ˈfʌndʒaɪ/. The g has the j sound in jam, and the final vowel sounds like my.
Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
B. Second-syllable stress, ending in a light uh “Automata” is aw-TAH-muh-tuh. TAH has the main beat, and the final two syllables have light uh vowels.
Source: CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Sources & reuse

The pronunciation notes are based on the dictionary sources linked from each word page. Practice phrases and exercises are original APG learning material, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Credit American Pronunciation Guide and keep the source links when adapting this worksheet. Videos and reference quotations retain their own terms.

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