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The Ultimate 1400+ List of Nouns: A to Z Guide

Updated
Become a grammar geek with this in-depth guide to nouns.

What are nouns? If you’re keen to understand this part of speech, whether for yourself or helping your child with homework, I can help.

In short, a noun is a person, place, or thing. But there is more to nouns than just the basics. In this post, I will walk you through 11 different types of nouns, including abstract nouns, common nouns, collective nouns, and more.

To solidify your understanding, I’ll also provide a list of over 1400 nouns and their definitions which you can also download as a PDF.

Are you ready to become a noun master? Let’s get started!


List of Most Common English Nouns

To kickstart your noun journey, here are 195 of the most common nouns in the English language:

  • Ability
  • Account
  • Act
  • Activity
  • Air
  • Area
  • Argument
  • Art
  • Back
  • Balance
  • Bird
  • Birth
  • Blood
  • Body
  • Book
  • Business
  • Butter
  • Car
  • Care
  • Case
  • Chance
  • Change
  • Child
  • City
  • Color
  • Community
  • Company
  • Computer
  • Control
  • Country
  • Cover
  • Daughter
  • Day
  • Death
  • Definition
  • Detail
  • Development
  • Door
  • Drink
  • Earth
  • Economics
  • Education
  • End
  • Error
  • Eye
  • Face
  • Fact
  • Fall
  • Family
  • Father
  • Fear
  • Fire
  • Food
  • Force
  • Friend
  • Front
  • Game
  • Girl
  • Glass
  • Government
  • Group
  • Guy
  • Hand
  • Hate
  • Head
  • Health
  • History
  • Home
  • Hour
  • House
  • Ice
  • Idea
  • Industry
  • Information
  • Ink
  • Internet
  • Investment
  • Issue
  • Job
  • Judge
  • Kid
  • Kind
  • Knowledge
  • Land
  • Language
  • Laugh
  • Law
  • Level
  • Library
  • Life
  • Light
  • Line
  • Liquid
  • Literature
  • Loss
  • Lot
  • Love
  • Machine
  • Man
  • Management
  • Map
  • Meat
  • Media
  • Meeting
  • Member
  • Method
  • Minute
  • Moment
  • Money
  • Month
  • Morning
  • Mother
  • Music
  • Name
  • Nature
  • Night
  • Noise
  • Number
  • Office
  • Opinion
  • Others
  • Oven
  • Page
  • Paper
  • Parent
  • Part
  • Party
  • People
  • Person
  • Place
  • Player
  • Point
  • Power
  • President
  • Price
  • Problem
  • Product
  • Program
  • Quality
  • Question
  • Rain
  • Rate
  • Reason
  • Regret
  • Request
  • Research
  • Rest
  • Result
  • Right
  • River
  • Room
  • Safety
  • Sand
  • School
  • Science
  • Seat
  • Service
  • Shade
  • Side
  • Sky
  • Society
  • Software
  • State
  • Story
  • Student
  • Study
  • System
  • Tax
  • Teacher
  • Team
  • Television
  • Temperature
  • Thanks
  • Theory
  • Thing
  • Time
  • Two
  • Understanding
  • Unit
  • Variety
  • Video
  • View
  • Voice
  • War
  • Water
  • Way
  • Week
  • Weight
  • Winter
  • Woman
  • Word
  • Work
  • World
  • Writing
  • Year

Different Types of Nouns

Within the world of nouns, there are 11 different types.

  1. Abstract Nouns
  2. Concrete Nouns
  3. Common Nouns
  4. Proper Nouns
  5. Countable Nouns
  6. Uncountable Nouns
  7. Collective Nouns
  8. Compound Nouns
  9. Possessive Nouns
  10. Regular Nouns
  11. Irregular Nouns

I’ll explain what each one is, show you how to use them in a sentence, and provide a list of 45 examples. Soon enough, you’ll be a certified grammar geek!

Abstract Nouns

What Is an Abstract Noun?

If you can taste, see, smell, hear, or feel it, it’s a concrete noun. If you can’t do any of these things, it’s usually an abstract noun.

Abstract nouns are intangible things that you can’t see or touch. Instead, they exist in the mind.

Examples include feelings (anxiety, stress), states of being (chaos, peace), and emotions (hate, joy). But you’ll also find abstract nouns include personality traits (brilliance, patience), concepts (culture, faith), ideas (curiosity, knowledge), and events (childhood, marriage).

Let’s not forget cultural and religious movements (feminism, Christianity), time designations (centuries, the 1920s), and philosophical or academic concepts (ethics, anachronism).

Overall, abstract nouns include things that are non-physical or not concrete. You can’t have a tangible relationship with it, but you can experience it.

How To Use Abstract Nouns in a Sentence

They work like other nouns, functioning as a subject or object of a sentence. You can also use them in the singular or plural form.

Here are three examples of abstract nouns in a sentence, with the abstract noun in bold:

  1. Delilah didn’t have the energy to go for a run today.
  2. If you remember your childhood fondly, you’re one of the lucky ones.
  3. He expressed his happiness with a smile.

List of Abstract Nouns

Below is a list of 45 abstract nouns for your convenience:

  • Adventure
  • Anger
  • Anxiety
  • Beliefs
  • Beauty
  • Birthday
  • Chaos
  • Comfort
  • Confusion
  • Democracy
  • Despair
  • Energy
  • Fear
  • Friendship
  • Future
  • Generosity
  • Grief
  • Happiness
  • Honor
  • Humor
  • Independence
  • Interest
  • Joy
  • Knowledge
  • Liberalism
  • Life
  • Love
  • Loyalty
  • Marriage
  • Misery
  • Motherhood
  • Nationhood
  • Nervousness
  • Openness
  • Opportunity
  • Pain
  • Patience
  • Performance
  • Realization
  • Sensitivity
  • Sacrifice
  • Sympathy
  • Trust
  • Warmth
  • Wisdom

Concrete Nouns

What Is a Concrete Noun?

A concrete noun is something you can touch, hear, see, smell, or taste. If you can have a physical relationship with it, it’s concrete rather than abstract.

This includes:

  • Objects: book, bag, food.
  • Substances: bacteria, water, oxygen.
  • Living beings: a postal worker, frog, sister.
  • Specific living beings (even fictional or mythical): Whitney, Emily Dickinson, Katniss Everdeen.
  • Types of places: home, backyard, beach.
  • Specific places: The University of Minnesota, 42nd Street, Prestwick Beach.

Invisible things can even be concrete nouns — including music or air — because you can still feel or hear such things.

How To Use Concrete Nouns in a Sentence

These work like other nouns: you can use them as the subject or object of a sentence in the plural or singular form. They also include common and proper nouns, so make sure you capitalize proper nouns.

Here are three sentences containing concrete nouns in bold. I’ve put abstract nouns in italics so you can see the difference.

  • Eloise Banks is a candidate for the upcoming presidency.
  • I got a promotion at work!
  • The fortune teller saw an exciting message in my tea leaves.

List of Concrete Nouns

Here is a list of 45 concrete nouns to better your understanding of them:

  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Adult
  • Banjo
  • Bear
  • Cafe
  • Canada
  • Deck
  • Diamond
  • Egypt
  • Fairy
  • Fire
  • Gentleman
  • George
  • Habitat
  • Iceland
  • Igloo
  • Jacqueline
  • Joint
  • Kansas City
  • Kettle
  • Lava lamp
  • Linen
  • Maid
  • Matchbox
  • Nike
  • Nursery
  • Oboe
  • Orphanage
  • Oxygen
  • Paint
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Quad bike
  • Rabbit
  • Rattlesnake
  • Rita Ora
  • Salmon
  • Scissors
  • Terminal
  • Ticket
  • Urine
  • Veronica
  • Well
  • X-ray
  • Yoga
  • Zurvan

Common Nouns

What Is a Common Noun?

All nouns are either common nouns or proper nouns. Common nouns take after their name in that they are super common. We use them all the time! Common nouns are all around us.

Common nouns refer to general items, plants, animals, objects, abstract ideas, and types of people rather than their specific titles. For example, sister is a common noun, but Julie is a proper noun.

A common noun is not capitalized (unless it’s at the start of a sentence), and it can include concrete and abstract nouns.

Something to note is that some common nouns can become proper nouns in certain sentences. For instance, dad is a common noun when you’re speaking about a dad indirectly. But if you use it in place of his name, referring directly to a specific person, then it becomes proper. Spot the difference:

  • Common noun example: My dad is a firefighter.
  • Proper noun example: Hey Dad, how was work today?

How To Use Common Nouns in a Sentence

One of the most important things to remember about common nouns is that they aren’t capitalized unless used at the start of a sentence. Common nouns can be the subject or object of a sentence, and you can modify them with adjectives, articles, and determiners.

Here are three example sentences using common nouns:

  1. The bathroom upstairs smells terrible. There’s mold growing in the shower.
  2. Greta was waiting on the salad she ordered. She had to muster up a lot of patience!
  3. I ate three oranges yesterday because I read in a magazine that they’re good for your immune system.

List of Common Nouns

Here are 45 common nouns in alphabetical order:

  • Address
  • Aunt
  • Alligator
  • Ball
  • Brother
  • Cat
  • Child
  • Dad
  • Dog
  • Eye
  • Father
  • Food
  • Garden
  • Ginger
  • Hate
  • Holiday
  • Island
  • Judge
  • Kitten
  • Knowledge
  • Linen
  • Lobster
  • Man
  • Mom
  • Nature
  • Night
  • Ocean
  • Ornament
  • Partner
  • Pizza
  • Quilt
  • Representative
  • Robin
  • Smoke
  • Stranger
  • Tiger
  • Tree
  • Umbrella
  • Vacation
  • Volcano
  • Wealth
  • Woman
  • Yard
  • Zebra
  • Zoo

Proper Nouns

What Is a Proper Noun?

All nouns are either common nouns or proper nouns. In comparison to common nouns, proper nouns represent a specific person, place, or thing. This includes personal names, names of companies or organizations, names of brands, place names, and titles of books, films, and songs.

For example, a TV show (common noun) can become Friends (proper noun). A kitten (common noun) is called Dolly(proper noun). Your city break (common noun) can be located in Vienna (proper noun).

Proper nouns are the specific and unique names of a common noun. It doesn’t make much difference how you use proper nouns when speaking. But when writing, you must remember to capitalize your proper noun, no matter where it’s placed in the sentence.

How To Use Proper Nouns in a Sentence

Always capitalize a proper noun in a sentence. This makes it easy to distinguish that it’s an official title for a person, place, or thing. You can place proper nouns in sentences in the same way as common nouns, but you can usually eliminate the article.

For instance, you wouldn’t say the Josh. You would just say Josh.

On that note, some organizations or countries — such as The United States of America — include the article the.

Here are three sentences that contain proper nouns in bold.

  1. The house on Borman Street sold for $10,000 over the asking price.
  2. I made a connection with a lovely lady called Erin at the conference.
  3. Grandma Pearl is making a roast supper. Do you want to invite Noah and Teresa over?

List of Proper Nouns

Below is a noun list of 45 proper noun examples:

  • Abraham
  • Algeria
  • Bangladesh
  • “The Bell Jar”
  • Cape Cod
  • Cedar Rapids
  • Denver
  • Dr. Lopez
  • “Emily in Paris”
  • “False God” (song)
  • Glen
  • Good Friday
  • Harry Styles
  • Honda
  • Jaffa Cakes
  • Judas
  • Kansas
  • Kesha Rose Sebert
  • Lady Gaga
  • “Les Misérables”
  • “Me Before You”
  • Mr. Hardy
  • Netherlands
  • North Dakota
  • Oreo
  • “Outlander”
  • “Pick Up the Phone” (song)
  • PlayStation
  • Queen Victoria
  • Quinn
  • Ralph Lauren
  • Reconstruction Act
  • Saint Lawrence
  • “Silver Linings Playbook”
  • Tallulah
  • Titanic
  • Ukraine
  • The United States of America
  • Vancouver
  • “Virgin River”
  • Wendy’s
  • Whole Foods
  • Xining
  • Yellowstone National Park
  • Zion National Park

Countable Nouns

What Is a Countable Noun?

Countable nouns are anything that you can count in numbers. For instance, you can determine the number of books, socks, or cakes. These nouns have both a singular and plural form — book or books — and usually follow an article.

For example, you can say a chicken or an apple. There are some tricky exceptions to the rule, including the word hair, which can be both countable and uncountable.

For instance, you can say, “I found a hair in my dinner.” But typically, you use hair in a sentence like this: “She has blonde hair,” making it an uncountable noun.

How To Use Countable Nouns in a Sentence

In the singular form, a countable noun usually follows the word a or an. In the plural form, it usually follows a number or a description of quantity.

For instance, you might say there is a winner, or there can’t be two winners. Notice how the use of an article or a number changes the noun from singular to plural.

Here are three examples of countable nouns in a sentence:

  1. Together, Bob and Harriet had three children.
  2. There’s a quaint little village by the river.
  3. You can enter the garden via the back gate or the front gate.

List of Countable Nouns

Here are 45 countable nouns in alphabetical order:

  • Adult
  • Beer
  • Boyfriend
  • Category
  • Cheque
  • Egg
  • Escalator
  • Establishment
  • Gadget
  • Gate
  • Head
  • Hotel
  • Idea
  • Income
  • Infant
  • Jellybean
  • Kangaroo
  • Lady
  • Lemon
  • Magnet
  • Mango
  • Memory
  • Nose
  • Nurse
  • Organization
  • Party
  • Potato
  • Proposal
  • Quarter
  • Radio
  • Recipe
  • Response
  • Sash
  • Speech
  • Tail
  • Tenant
  • Thorn
  • Ukulele
  • Vault
  • Website
  • Wife
  • Writer
  • Yardstick
  • Zipper
  • Zoo

Uncountable Nouns

What Is an Uncountable Noun?

Uncountable nouns are words that we cannot count with numbers. For example, bravery, water, rice, sugar, and lightning are all examples of uncountable nouns.

The easiest way to remember this is that you can’t use an indefinite article — a/an — in front of an uncountable noun. For example, you can’t say, “I have two meats” or “I saw 12 dirts.” It just doesn’t make sense!

However, you can still express the quantity of these nouns. Usually, this involves adding extra words in front of the noun. For instance, you might say two cups of milk, or she showed a bit of enthusiasm.

Uncountable nouns include emotions, qualities or traits, ideas, certain foods, chemical elements, weather, and collective nouns.

Typically, these nouns remain in the singular form: The money is in the bank account, or There is milk in the fridge. However, some nouns take on a plural form, such as the word police; this reads as “The police are on their way.”

How To Use Uncountable Nouns in a Sentence

It’s important to remember that uncountable nouns don’t follow an indefinite article. But other than that, you can use them like normal nouns. However, they typically remain in the singular form, so you would use them with verbs like is, spills, go, and smells.

Here are three examples of uncountable nouns in a sentence:

  1. Leo didn’t have any energy left by the end of the race.
  2. The little girl had magic in her, but nobody believed her.
  3. “Can I order a bowl of soup?” Ingrid asked the waitress.

List of Uncountable Nouns

Here are 45 more uncountable nouns:

  • Air
  • Anger
  • Bread
  • Butter
  • Cash
  • Cutlery
  • Dirt
  • Electricity
  • Ethics
  • Flour
  • Food
  • Gold
  • Hair
  • Health
  • Importance
  • Intelligence
  • Jealousy
  • Juice
  • Kindness
  • Laughter
  • Literature
  • Luck
  • Magic
  • Management
  • Milk
  • Nutrition
  • Noise
  • News
  • Oil
  • Paper
  • Petrol
  • Quartz
  • Rum
  • Rice
  • Relaxation
  • Soil
  • Seafood
  • Toothpaste
  • Trouble
  • Underwear
  • Violence
  • Weight
  • Wool
  • Yoga
  • Zinc

Collective Nouns

What Is a Collective Noun?

Let’s move on to collective nouns. These nouns refer to a group of more than one person, place, thing, animal, or idea. For example, array, bouquet, choir, and The Beatles are all collective nouns.

In US English, these nouns are treated as singular. For example, you would say, “The choir is singing a cover of The Winner Takes It All,” even though the choir is made up of multiple people. However, the choir is a single unit.

In UK English, these nouns are treated as singular or plural depending on the context. You might say, “Abba are a great band,” even though in US English, you would use is instead of are.

How To Use Collective Nouns in a Sentence

The most important thing to remember about collective nouns is that they are treated as singular (especially in US speech and writing). So you would associate the noun with a singular verb.

Here are three examples of collective nouns in a sentence.

  1. I helped the farmer with his flock of sheep.
  2. The weather reporter warned us that a heavy shower would start at midnight.
  3. Jessica’s family is coming into town from Vermont.

List of Collective Nouns

Here are 45 more collective nouns to add to your repertoire:

  • Army
  • Audience
  • Band
  • Board (group of directors)
  • Choir (a group of singers)
  • Colony (a group of ants)
  • Daft Punk (a music group)
  • Delegation (a group of delegates)
  • Family (a group of relatives)
  • Fleet (a group of ships)
  • Flock (a group of birds/goats/sheep/etc.)
  • Flush (a group of ducks)
  • Gang (a group of youths, buffalos, bison, criminals, etc.)
  • Group (a collective word for several people or things)
  • Galaxy (a group of stars)
  • Herd (a group of large animals)
  • Hive (a group of bees)
  • Horde (a group of insects, rats, mice, etc.)
  • Host (a group of angels)
  • Husk (a group of jackrabbits)
  • Joint (a group of osteopaths)
  • Jubilee (a group of eagles)
  • Kindle (a group of kittens or leverets)
  • Litter (a group of cubs, pups, or kittens)
  • Muster (a group of crows, peacocks, or storks)
  • Mob (a group of cattle, kangaroos, wombats, rioters, etc.)
  • Murder (a group of crows)
  • Nursery (a group of raccoons)
  • Pack (a group of animals, including dogs and wolves)
  • Pod (a group of dolphins or porpoises)
  • Pride (a group of lions)
  • Rake (a group of colts)
  • Rafter (a group of turkeys)
  • Range (a series of mountains)
  • School (a group of fish)
  • Sedge (a group of bitterns, cranes, or herons)
  • Series (a group of books, events, or photos)
  • Sounder (a group of wild pigs or boars)
  • Swarm (a group of minnows, eels, or certain insects)
  • Troop (a group of boy scouts, lions, apes, or foxes)
  • Troupe (a group of performers)
  • Team (a group of players)
  • Wake (a group of buzzards)
  • Walk (a group of snipes)
  • Worship (a group of writers)

Compound Nouns

What Is a Compound Noun?

A compound noun involves two or more individual words connecting together to create a new noun. This can include two separate nouns — football — or combine other parts of speech.

For instance, soft (adjective) and ware (noun) come together for software. Swim (verb) and suit (noun) create swimsuit. And look (verb) and out (preposition) come together to create lookout (compound noun).

Compound nouns can be common nouns (bluebird), proper nouns (Pizza Hut), or abstract nouns (homesickness). But it’s important to remember that the meaning of a compound noun is distinct from the two component parts separately. For instance, there is a difference between a greenhouse and a green house.

How To Use Compound Nouns in a Sentence

Compound nouns are easy to use in sentences, as they work like common and proper nouns. You can use them as the subject or object of the sentence. Here are three examples.

  1. I had to go to the doctor for a checkup this morning.
  2. My son’s classmate is called Prince.
  3. The water tank in our bathroom saves us money.

List of Compound Nouns

Do you want more examples of compound nouns? Here are 45 more:

  • Aftermath
  • Airmail
  • Birthday
  • Bookworm
  • Breakfast
  • Butterfly
  • Carpet
  • Chopstick
  • Dry-cleaning
  • Doorbell
  • Eardrum
  • Earring
  • Fatherhood
  • Fingernail
  • Grandfather
  • Grandmother
  • Heartbeat
  • Inside
  • Landlady
  • Lifespan
  • Lookout
  • Mailbox
  • Motorcycle
  • Nightclub
  • Notebook
  • Overcoat
  • Overtime
  • Painkiller
  • Passport
  • Pickpocket
  • Pocketknife
  • Quicksand
  • Racehorse
  • Railway
  • Rattlesnake
  • Ringworm
  • Skyscraper
  • Spotlight
  • Swimming pool
  • Tablespoon
  • Toothpick
  • Tugboat
  • Watchdog
  • Weekend
  • Yourself

Possessive Nouns

What Is a Possessive Noun?

Possessive nouns are a form of a common or proper noun that indicates ownership. You can modify singular nouns by adding -‘s at the end. For example, “That’s Rebecca’s water bottle.”

With plural nouns, you usually just add -‘ at the end. For instance, “I drove past my dogs’ daycare, where they both spend Thursdays.”

These possessive nouns indicate ownership, connection, or relationship. They usually come before another noun (the thing that is owned).

You have to be careful, though, as ‘s in the English language can also be an abbreviation for something is. For instance, “The baker’s dropping the cakes off later” doesn’t use the apostrophe and ‘s’ to indicate ownership. Instead, it’s simply shortening the phrase rather than saying, “The baker is dropping the cakes off later.”

How To Use Possessive Nouns in a Sentence

In a sentence, possessive nouns are associated with another noun. Typically, the noun comes after the possessive noun — such as the house’s windows or Mom’s cup of tea. The possessive noun gains an apostrophe and the letter ‘s’ if it’s singular.

If it’s a plural noun, it just gains the apostrophe. However, this isn’t the case if the plural noun has its own form. For example, the plural of woman is women. In that case, you would still add -‘s.

Here are three examples of possessive nouns in a sentence.

  1. Berta didn’t read the agency’s terms and conditions, and now she is in a lot of trouble.
  2. The two sisters’ health checks are due at the same time.
  3. The geese’s feathers are gray, black and white.

List of Possessive Nouns

Here are 45 examples of possessive nouns. These are in the singular form but remember that they must change when made plural.

  • Ad’s
  • Airport’s
  • Actor’s
  • Basket’s
  • Bird’s
  • Buyer’s
  • Contract’s
  • Cousin’s
  • Dealer’s
  • Director’s
  • Ear’s
  • Engine’s
  • Flight’s
  • Friend’s
  • Fish’
  • Girl’s
  • Grandmother’s
  • Hat’s
  • Hospital’s
  • Hotel’s
  • Isabella’s
  • Insect’s
  • Jennifer Lopez’
  • King’s
  • Kitten’s
  • Lady’s
  • Leader’s
  • Law’s
  • Manager’s
  • Martha’s
  • Mom’s
  • Night’s
  • Newspaper’s
  • Old Navy’s
  • Operator’s
  • Product’s
  • Poem’s
  • Queen’s
  • Recipe’s
  • Singer’s
  • Thing’s
  • Uncle’s
  • Vehicle’s
  • Writer’s
  • Youth’s

Regular Nouns

What Is a Regular Noun?

Regular nouns can be transformed from singular to plural by adding -s or -es at the end. For example, friend becomes friends, and class becomes classes. This is in comparison with irregular nouns that don’t follow that rule.

For instance, irregular nouns include mouse (mice), child (children), and sheep (sheep).

How To Use Regular Nouns in a Sentence

When using a regular noun that you want to make plural, you simply add -s or -es on the end. Unfortunately, there is no hard and fast rule for understanding regular or irregular nouns. You simply have to memorize them.

Here are three sentences that contain regular nouns.

  1. The farmers went to the farmer dance dressed in their best outfits.
  2. Sally put her headphones on the train table, then left without them.
  3. The children took home their reports to show their parents.

List of Regular Nouns

Here are 45 regular nouns in the plural form:

  • Activists
  • Artists
  • Beaver
  • Boyfriend
  • Browser
  • Chipmunks
  • Creations
  • Devils
  • Disclaimers
  • Eggs
  • Forums
  • Friends
  • Gardens
  • Gates
  • Hourglasses
  • Houses
  • Igloos
  • Joysticks
  • Kettles
  • Lemons
  • Limes
  • Lectures
  • Miles
  • Muffins
  • Notes
  • Nephews
  • Offenses
  • Outfits
  • Pearls
  • Picnics
  • Queues
  • Quarters
  • Recipes
  • Realms
  • Shacks
  • Systems
  • Tents
  • Tutors
  • Uniforms
  • Underdogs
  • Visitors
  • Weddings
  • X-rays
  • Yearbooks
  • Zookeepers

Irregular Nouns

What Is an Irregular Noun?

Irregular nouns don’t follow the same pattern as regular nouns. When turning them into plural nouns, they change in different ways. For instance, you won’t add -s or -es to make them plural.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a super obvious pattern, so you need to memorize these by reading, studying, and speaking. There are hundreds of them, so it’s pretty challenging.

Some examples include:

  • Knife becomes knives.
  • Leaf becomes leaves.
  • Foot becomes feet.
  • Man becomes men.
  • Child becomes children.
  • Person becomes people.
  • Moose stays as moose.
  • Deer stays as deer.

How To Use Irregular Nouns in a Sentence

You can use these nouns as objects or subjects in a sentence. But when making them plural, you’ll have to remember how the noun is modified. Since there is no standard rule, you’ll need to memorize them.

Here are three sentences that contain the plural form of irregular nouns:

  1. I’m trying to teach my toddler how to brush his teeth properly.
  2. The women from the library are putting on a charity event.
  3. The school principal is stuck between three syllabi options.

List of Irregular Nouns

Below is a list of irregular nouns. I’ve put the singular version in brackets so you can see exactly how the noun changes form.

  • Aircraft (singular: Aircraft)
  • Antennae (singular: Antenna)
  • Axes (singular: Axis)
  • Barracks (singular: Barracks)
  • Bison (singular: Bison)
  • Cacti (singular: Cactus)
  • Children (singular: Child)
  • Crises (singular: Crisis)
  • Deer (singular: Deer)
  • Diagnoses (singular: Diagnosis)
  • Dice (singular: Die)
  • Ellipses (singular: Ellipse)
  • Feet (singular: Foot)
  • Fezzes (singular: Fez)
  • Fish (singular: Fish)
  • Geese (singular: Goose)
  • Grouse (singular: Grouse)
  • Halves (singular: Half)
  • Hooves (singular: Hoof)
  • Indices (singular: Index)
  • Knives (singular: Knife)
  • Larvae (singular: Larva)
  • Lice (singular: Louse)
  • Loaves (singular: Loaf)
  • Loci (singular: Locus)
  • Men (singular: Man)
  • Media (singular: Medium)
  • Mice (singular: Mouse)
  • Moose (singular: Moose)
  • Nebulae (singular: Nebula)
  • Octopi (singular: Octopus)
  • Offspring (singular: Offspring)
  • Oxen (singular: Ox)
  • Parentheses (singular: Parenthesis)
  • People (singular: Person)
  • Quizzes (singular: Quiz)
  • Radii (singular: Radius)
  • Salmon (singular: Salmon)
  • Series (singular: Series)
  • Teeth (singular: Tooth)
  • Thieves (singular: Thief)
  • Uteri (singular: Uterus)
  • Vertebrae (singular: Vertebra)
  • Wives (singular: Wife)
  • Women (singular: Woman)

Complete List of English Nouns From A-Z

We’ve put together a handy list of 780 English nouns from A to Z. It’s hard to put an exact number on the total count of English nouns, but a rough estimate would be around 80,000. If you’d like to download our list in a PDF format, you can do so here.

List of English Nouns That Start With A

  • Ab: An abdominal muscle.
  • Ablation: A surgical removal.
  • Abuse: An improper or corrupt treatment.
  • Accent: A manner of speaking depending on where a person is from.
  • Acrylic: A paint using acrylic resin.
  • Adult: A person who is over the age of 18 or 21 (depending on location).
  • Affirmation: Something that is positively declared.
  • Agent: A person in power; someone who represents another person.
  • Aid: The act of helping someone or giving assistance.
  • Airplane: A large vehicle with wings that travels through the sky.
  • Airport: A place where an airplane departs and returns.
  • Alien: A strange person usually belonging to another world or country.
  • Alley: A walk bordered by trees or bushes; a narrow street.
  • Amber: A hard yellow fossil resin used for making ornaments.
  • Amnesia: Loss of memory, usually due to brain injury or illness.
  • Antic: An attention-drawing or funny act.
  • Antler: The bony part that comes from the head of animals, such as deer.
  • Apology: An admission of regret or wrongdoing.
  • Aquarium: A glass tank where aquatic animals live.
  • Arch: A curved structure that serves as an opening to a building or room.
  • Artist: A person who is skilled at painting, music, writing, or other creative works.
  • Ash: Solid residue after something is thoroughly burned; the remains of a body after cremation.
  • Attorney: A person legally appointed on another’s behalf to transact business.
  • Auricle: The heart’s atrium.
  • Author: Someone who writes a book.
  • Avocado: A green-to-purple nutty fruit that grows from tropical trees.
  • Awning: A roof cover that extends over the front of a building as shelter.
  • Axle: A bar with bearings to hold revolving wheels.
  • Axminster: A carpet with pile tufts inserted mechanically to create various patterns.
  • Azide: A compound in the N3 group combined with an element.

List of English Nouns That Start With B

  • Bauble: A trinket or Christmas ornament.
  • Ballet: A theatrical art that uses dance, music and scenery.
  • Bank: An establishment that works with money, loans, and transmitting funds.
  • Bed: A piece of furniture for lying and sleeping.
  • Bedbug: A bloodsucking bug that infests homes and beds.
  • Belief: A state of mind which is confident in a person or thing.
  • Bias: A prejudice towards one thought, person, or thing.
  • Binder: A person or item that holds something — usually paper — together.
  • Bird: An animal with wings and feathers.
  • Birth: The emergence of a new person or animal from the body of its parent.
  • Bisque: A creamy soup made with shellfish, game, or vegetables.
  • Blaze: An intense fire.
  • Blight: A disease of plants marked by lesions, withering, or dead parts.
  • Bloom: A blossom from a flower.
  • Blow: The instance of air moving quickly or forcefully.
  • Blur: A mark or stain that obscures.
  • Board: A sawed piece of lumber longer than it is wide.
  • Boil: A swollen or inflamed area of the skin caused by infection.
  • Bomb: An explosive device.
  • Boor: A peasant.
  • Bother: Something that causes worry or annoyance.
  • Bowl: A nearly hemispherical piece of tableware used for certain types of food.
  • Boy: A male child.
  • Brain: One’s mind or intellect.
  • Brim: A verge.
  • Brooch: An ornament worn near the neck attached by a pin.
  • Buckle: A fastening that attaches two loose ends in a catch.
  • Bullet: A round missile that shoots from a firearm.
  • Bygone: Something that is past.
  • Byproduct: Something produced industrially in addition to the main product.

List of English Nouns That Start With C

  • Cadet: A younger brother or son; someone in training for the military or naval commission.
  • Care: Grief or suffering of the mind.
  • Cask: A barrel-shaped vessel that usually holds liquids.
  • Casket: A small chest for jewels; a fancy coffin.
  • Celibacy: The state of not being married.
  • Censor: A person who supervises morals, such as examining film materials for objectionable content.
  • Center: The middle point of a circle or sphere.
  • Chant: A rhythmic monotonous song.
  • Check: An examination or investigation.
  • Choice: A selection or option.
  • Chorus: A group of singers that participate in a drama or song.
  • Cinnamon: Aromatic dried park of tropical trees.
  • Citrus: A group of thorny trees that grow in warm places and produce edible fruit with a thick rind and pulpy flesh.
  • Cliff: The steep vertical overhanging of rock or earth.
  • Clock: A device that tells the time using a dial.
  • Clutch: The claws or hands that grasp firmly; a small bag you hold.
  • Coin: A flat piece of metal used as money.
  • Cord: A flexible material that is woven together.
  • Cork: A stopper for a bottle.
  • Crab: A broad decapod crustacean.
  • Critic: A person who professionally evaluates works of art, performances, or food.
  • Crown: A royal headdress that implies sovereignty.
  • Crane: A bird that is tall and wading.
  • Crater: A bowl-shaped depression around the orifice of a volcano.
  • Crawl: Moving on one’s hands and knees.
  • Creep: An unpleasant or eerie person.
  • Cube: A square with six equal sides.
  • Curfew: A requirement that a person is home by a certain time.
  • Cusp: The edge or turning point.
  • Cycle: An interval of time where a sequence recurs.

List of English Nouns That Start With D

  • Dag: A shred.
  • Dairy: Milk from a cow or other domestic animal.
  • Damsel: A young unmarried woman.
  • Dancer: A person who performs rhythmic movements to song.
  • Dash: A punctuation mark (-) used to break up a thought.
  • Debt: Something owed to someone or something.
  • Debut: A first appearance or entrance to society.
  • Decor: Stage setting or interior style.
  • Den: The lair of a predatory animal.
  • Dew: Moisture that condenses on surfaces, especially at night.
  • Dhal: An Indian dish made with pureed and spiced legumes.
  • Diary: A written record of events or feelings; journal.
  • Dime: A US coin worth 10 percent of a dollar.
  • Dingle: A small wooded valley.
  • Dish: A vessel upon which food is served; food prepared particularly.
  • Doll: A small figure that children play with.
  • Donor: A person who gives or donates something.
  • Doodle: An aimless drawing.
  • Doubt: Distrust or uncertainty.
  • Dough: A mixture of flour, meal, and liquid that you can knead.
  • Draft: A first attempt at a sketch, outline, or book.
  • Dread: Fear in the face of impending evil.
  • Driver: A person who operates a vehicle.
  • Duet: A musical composition including two performers.
  • Dugout: A shelter dug into a hillside.
  • Dump: A place to discard materials.
  • Dust: Fine particles of the earth’s matter.
  • Dwarf: An offensive way of referring to a person with unusually small stature.
  • Dwelling: A shelter where people live.
  • Dynasty: A powerful group or family that has been in position for a long time.

List of English Nouns That Start With E

  • Ear: The body part that we hear with.
  • Earring: An ornament that hangs on the earlobe.
  • East: The general direction of sunrise.
  • Eatery: A restaurant.
  • Eccentric: A person who behaves unusually.
  • Echo: The repetition of sounds caused by reflection of sound waves.
  • Economy: The structure of economic life in a country or period.
  • Ectopia: An abnormal congenital position of an organ.
  • Editor: Someone who edits for their profession.
  • Educator: A teacher.
  • Edge: The cutting side of a blade; a border.
  • Eel: A snakelike bony fish.
  • Effervescence: An appealing upbeat quality.
  • Effort: Hard work; serious attempt.
  • Egg: A hard-shelled object produced by a bird, used for food.
  • Eggler: An egg dealer.
  • Ego: A person’s self-esteem or self-importance.
  • Eiderdown: A quilt full of soft material.
  • Ejector: Something that throws something out with force.
  • Elbow: The joint of the human arm.
  • Elephant: A large, hairless mammal with a long snout.
  • Elf: A small mischievous fairy associated with Christmas.
  • Employee: A person who works for another person or organization.
  • Entity: Being or existence.
  • Epoch: An event marked by another event that begins a new period.
  • Equal: One that is treated similarly.
  • Errand: A short trip to attend to business, such as grocery shopping.
  • Essay: An analytical literary composition that conveys a point of view.
  • Ethnic: A member of a minority group.
  • Eve: The evening before a special day.

List of English Nouns That Start With F

  • Fable: A fictional narrative or story.
  • Fairy: A small fictional being that has magical powers.
  • Family: A group of individuals who usually live under one roof; basic unit consisting of two parents and their children.
  • Fan: An instrument that produces air.
  • Fare: The price for transporting a person.
  • Fast: A time when a person does not eat.
  • Feast: A banquet with an abundant meal.
  • Feel: The sense of touch.
  • Fern: A division of flowerless spore-producing vascular plants.
  • Fever: A rise of body temperature above normal.
  • Fiasco: A complete failure.
  • Fig: A pear-shaped fruit from a tree of the mulberry family.
  • Fight: A battle, combat, or verbal disagreement.
  • Finery: Ornament or decoration.
  • Finger: One of the five protruding members of a hand.
  • Flag: A piece of fabric that symbolizes a nation.
  • Flask: A container for liquids.
  • Flirt: A person who shows interest in someone or something.
  • Flower: A part of a plant that contains petals.
  • Fluid: A liquid or gas substance that flows outside its container.
  • Folly: A lack of good sense.
  • Force: A strength exerted; moral or mental strength.
  • Format: The general plan of an organization, such as a TV show.
  • Fox: A carnivorous mammal in the dog family with large ears and a long tail.
  • Frame: The physical makeup of a human body; an open structure for supporting a window or painting.
  • Friend: A person with whom one has a close bond.
  • Frost: Small ice crystals on a surface.
  • Fuel: Material used to produce heat.
  • Fund: A sum of money set apart for a specific objective.
  • Furlough: Leave of absence granted to a government employee or criminal.

List of English Nouns That Start With G

  • Gaff: A handled hook for lifting large fish.
  • Gasp: The act of suddenly taking a breath due to surprise.
  • Gate: An opening of a wall or fence.
  • Gauze: A thin fabric to cover surgical dressings.
  • Gavel: A mallet an auctioneer uses to confirm a vote or sale.
  • Gel: A jelly-like substance.
  • Genie: A magical spirit that serves those who call on it.
  • Genre: A category of artistic content.
  • Gentry: An upper class.
  • Gherkin: A small green fruit related to the cucumber, used for pickles.
  • Ghost: A soul; a faint trace.
  • Giggle: The act of laughing in a repeated, short, breathy way.
  • Gilt: A gold paint applied to a surface in a thin layer.
  • Giraffe: A mammal with a long neck and short coat, the tallest of all quadrupeds.
  • Girth: The measurement around the middle of something.
  • Giver: A person who donates.
  • Globe: A spherical representation of the earth.
  • Gloss: A shine.
  • Glower: A look of anger or annoyance.
  • Gnat: Small biting flies.
  • Gnome: A ageless folklore character who lives in the earth to guard treasure.
  • Gorge: A narrow passage through land.
  • Goth: A person who wears dark clothes and dramatic makeup.
  • Gown: A loose-flowing garment worn by men or women.
  • Grief: Deep distress caused by bereavement.
  • Group: Two or more things or people to make up a unit.
  • Guilt: Feeling of deserving blame for wrongdoings.
  • Gull: A gray or white bird with a stout build and hooked bill.
  • Gymnastics: A sport that involves exercises on balance beams, bars, or the floor.
  • Gypsy: An offensive term for people who roam from place to place.

List of English Nouns That Start With H

  • Hack: A creative solution, usually to invade through computer programs.
  • Haggis: A Scottish dish containing a sheep’s heart, liver, and lungs.
  • Hall: The castle of a medieval king.
  • Ham: Cut of meat from a hog.
  • Harp: An angled instrument with pluckable strings.
  • Hate: An intense aversion towards something.
  • Haw: A hawthorn berry.
  • Heat: A condition of being hot or warm.
  • Hedge: A fence formed by shrubs or trees.
  • Heel: The back of a foot below the ankle and behind the arch.
  • Helm: A position of control.
  • Helmet: A headpiece that protects one’s head.
  • Help: The act of aiding somebody with a problem.
  • Hiatus: A break or gap.
  • Hide: Animal skin that is raw or prepared to be used.
  • Hike: A long walk people take for exercise.
  • Hinge: A joint on which a door can swing to open.
  • Hive: A container for homing honeybees.
  • Hold: The manner of gripping something.
  • Honor: Reputational; privilege; one who is respected.
  • Horror: A painful fear.
  • Hose: A flexible tube for transporting fluids.
  • Hostel: A cheap lodging facility where people sleep in dormitory-style rooms.
  • Humor: A funny quality.
  • Hunch: The instance of rounding over.
  • Hunter: A person who traps and kills game.
  • Husk: An outer layer.
  • Hybrid: The combination of two different things.
  • Hygiene: The conditions of cleanliness conducive to health.
  • Hysteria: A behavior that exhibits emotional excess or overwhelming fear.

List of English Nouns That Start With I

  • Iambic: A metrical foot containing one short syllable followed by a long one.
  • Ibuprofen: An anti-inflammatory drug that relieves pain.
  • Ice: Frozen water.
  • Icon: A person that has influence; a symbol.
  • Idea: A thought or opinion.
  • Identifier: One that identifies.
  • Identity: One’s individuality.
  • Idiom: An expression that has meaning that can’t be understood from the elements in the sentence.
  • Idyll: A descriptive work of writing that deals with rustic life.
  • Igloo: A dome-shaped home made of snow or ice.
  • Ignition: A device used to ignite the fuel mixture in an engine.
  • Ilium: The largest of the three bones composing either half of a pelvis.
  • Ilk: Sort or kind.
  • Illusion: A misleading image in the vision.
  • Illustration: Something that is drawn.
  • Image: A visual representation of something.
  • Imagery: Mental pictures.
  • Impact: The force of something on another thing.
  • Imposter: Somebody who takes on a false identity to deceive others.
  • Income: A recurrent benefit, usually money, that derives from labor.
  • Infant: A child at the beginning of their life.
  • Inmate: A person confined in prison.
  • Intent: Aim; purpose; meaning.
  • Invite: An invitation.
  • Iota: A tiny amount.
  • Iris: The colored part of an eye.
  • Iron: A silver-white heavy metallic element.
  • Ironing: Clothes to be ironed.
  • Irritation: Something that annoys.
  • Island: Land surrounded by water — smaller than a continent.

List of English Nouns That Start With J

  • Jab: A quick, forceful stab with something pointed.
  • Jacket: A garment of clothing that covers the upper body.
  • Jade: Tough green gemstones.
  • Jail: A place where persons are confined if they have broken the law.
  • Janitor: One who cleans a building and makes repairs.
  • Jasper: Colored stoneware with white decorations.
  • Jaundice: Yellowish pigmentation of the skin caused by deposition of bilirubin pigments.
  • Java: Coffee beans grown in Indonesia.
  • Jazz: American music developed from ragtime and blues.
  • Jean: Durable cotton cloth usually used for sportswear or work clothes.
  • Jeep: A small motor vehicle with four-wheel drive.
  • Jeopardy: Danger.
  • Jerker: An annoying or foolish person.
  • Jet: An airplane that has one or more jet engines.
  • Jewel: A precious stone or gem.
  • Jig: Springy dances in triple rhythm.
  • Jigsaw: A puzzle.
  • Jingle: A light clinking sound.
  • Jinx: One who brings bad luck.
  • Jitterbug: A jazz variation of the two-step dance.
  • Joint: The point of contact in a skeleton.
  • Joke: Something said to provoke laughter.
  • Joker: A person who jokes.
  • Jostle: The experience of being pushed.
  • Journal: A daily newspaper; record of ideas or reflections.
  • Journey: Travel or passage from one place to another.
  • Judge: An official person who decides which questions are asked in court.
  • Jump: A leap.
  • Junior: Younger; lower standing in rank.
  • Juniper: A shrub or tree in the cypress family with cones that resemble berries.

List of English Nouns That Start With K

  • Kale: A hardy cabbage.
  • Kaleidoscope: An instrument that uses colored glass to reflect various patterns.
  • Kangaroo: A mammal from Australia with a small head, long hind legs, and a thick tail.
  • Karaoke: A form of entertainment using a karaoke machine.
  • Karat: A unit of fineness for gold.
  • Karate: A Japanese art of self-defense.
  • Karma: A force that affects the events of one’s life.
  • Kayak: A narrow boat that moves via a double-bladed paddle.
  • Kazoo: A buzzing instrument that’s made of a small tube with a side hole.
  • Keel: The longitudinal structure along the base of a ship, on which the rest of the ship is built.
  • Keeper: Protector or warden.
  • Keg: A barrel with a capacity of 30 gallons or less.
  • Kelp: A growth of large seaweeds.
  • Kennel: A shelter for dogs or cats.
  • Kerb: An edge of concrete built along a street.
  • Kernel: The inner part of a seed, fruit stone, or nut.
  • Ketchup: Seasoned condiment made from tomatoes.
  • Ketone: A class of organic compounds.
  • Kettle: A metallic vessel for boiling liquids.
  • Key: A small metal instrument that unlocks a lock.
  • Keyboard: Keys on a musical instrument or for controlling a computer.
  • Khaki: Light yellow-brown cloth made from cotton.
  • King: A male monarch; God.
  • Kiss: To touch someone with the lips in affection.
  • Kidney: A pair of organs in the human body.
  • Knife: An instrument used to cut.
  • Knot: Flexible things forming together; a problem.
  • Knap: A summit.
  • Kudos: Praise given for an achievement.
  • Kyat: The monetary unit of Myanmar.

List of English Nouns That Start With L

  • Ladle: A long-handled spoon for collecting and depositing liquids.
  • Lady: A woman with superior social status.
  • Lamina: A layer.
  • Lap: Hanging flap of a garment.
  • Lava: Molten rock from a volcano.
  • Leave: Departure; permission to do something.
  • Ledge: A raised edge intended to protect.
  • Legacy: Something transmitted from one ancestor to another.
  • Lemon: A yellow acidic fruit.
  • Lentil: A Eurasian leguminous plant.
  • Lesson: A piece of instruction.
  • Liar: A person who doesn’t tell the truth.
  • Lid: Something that confines a container.
  • Life: The period from birth to death.
  • Limb: The leg or arm of a human.
  • Limbo: A state of oblivion.
  • Llama: A wild or domesticated ruminant mammal.
  • Lip: The two pieces of flesh around a mouth.
  • Loaf: A molded mass of bread.
  • Logic: Reasoning assessed according to principles of validity.
  • Lotion: A liquid used for cosmetic or medicinal use.
  • Lotus: Fruit eaten by lotus-eaters that cause dreamy contentment.
  • Lounge: A place for relaxing.
  • Louse: The plural word for lice — small insects that feed on warm-blooded animals.
  • Luck: A favoring chance.
  • Luggage: A traveler’s belongings.
  • Lumber: Timber or logs.
  • Lunch: A light meal eaten in the middle of the day.
  • Lust: An intense longing.
  • Lymph: A clear fluid in the body that carries infection-fighting cells.

List of English Nouns That Start With M

  • Magic: Supernatural powers.
  • Mania: Excitement through mental hyperactivity or unreasonable enthusiasm.
  • Manse: A minister’s home.
  • Mar: A blemish.
  • Masque: A short dramatic entertainment from the 16th and 17th centuries.
  • Mass: A large amount.
  • Match: Something equal to another.
  • Member: A person in a group.
  • Mentor: A trusted guide.
  • Menu: A list of what’s on offer.
  • Mess: An untidy state.
  • Meteor: Small particles from the solar system that heat upon entry into the atmosphere.
  • Method: A procedure or process to attain an object.
  • Middle: A central portion of something; waist.
  • Mince: Small chopped bits of food.
  • Mint: An aromatic plant.
  • Miser: Someone who is tight with money.
  • Mite: A small arachnid that infests foods and plants.
  • Mocha: A drink made with chocolate and coffee.
  • Mode: A preferred way of doing something.
  • Moss: A bog or swamp.
  • Mouth: The natural opening of an animal where food enters.
  • Mow: A stack of hay.
  • Muscle: A body tissue made of long cells that contract.
  • Music: A vocal or instrument sound with rhythm and melody.
  • Mullet: A hairstyle where the hair is short on the sides and top but long at the back.
  • Mutiny: A passive resistance against a government.
  • Mystery: Something not understood.
  • Mysticism: The belief that knowledge of God can be acquired through experience.
  • Myth: A parable; a false notion.

List of English Nouns That Start With N

  • Name: A word that is designated to a person or thing.
  • Nap: A brief sleep.
  • Napkin: A material used to wipe a table, face, or fingers.
  • Nature: The external world.
  • Nausea: Stomach distress and an urge to vomit.
  • Navy: A group of ships.
  • Neck: The part of an animal that connects the body to the head.
  • Nectar: The beverage of fruit juice.
  • Need: An obligation; a condition that requires relief.
  • Needle: A small steel instrument that is used for sewing.
  • Nephew: The son of one’s brother or sister.
  • Nerd: A person who is devoted to academic interests.
  • News: A report of recent events.
  • Nicety: The quality of being kind.
  • Niece: The daughter of a person’s brother or sister.
  • Night: The time between dusk and dawn.
  • Nihilism: A doctrine that denies objective ground of moral truth.
  • Ninny: A fool.
  • Nomad: A person who roams around.
  • Noodle: A food made with egg and in a ribbon form.
  • Noon: Midday.
  • Novel: A long piece of prose connected with a series of events.
  • Novice: A beginner.
  • Nudity: The state of being naked.
  • Number: A sum of units.
  • Nun: A religious woman who vows chastity and obedience.
  • Nursery: A child’s bedroom.
  • Nuthatch: A small tree-climbing bird with a compact body and short tail.
  • Nylon: Strong elastic materials that are used to make clothing.
  • Nymph: A girl.

List of English Nouns That Start With O

  • Oar: A long pole with a blade for steering a boat.
  • Oasis: A fertile area in an arid place, like a desert.
  • Oast: A kiln used for drying hops, tobacco, and malt.
  • Oath: A solemn promise.
  • Obedience: The act of following orders.
  • Obesity: A condition defined by excess fat storage.
  • Object: Something material that you can see.
  • Oboe: A woodwind instrument that creates a bright tone.
  • Observer: A person who notices things.
  • Obstetrics: A medicine science that deals with pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
  • Occult: Matters involving supernatural influence.
  • Ocean: The whole body of salt water that covers 75 percent of the earth.
  • Ochre: An earthy iron ore used as pigment.
  • Octagon: A polygon with eight angles and sides.
  • Ode: A lyrical poem full of feeling and style.
  • Odin: The supreme god in Norse mythology.
  • Odor: A scent or smell.
  • Oenomel: A Greek drink with wine and honey.
  • Offense: Something that outrages or displeases.
  • Offer: A sacrifice or proposal.
  • Office: A place where one works.
  • Officiant: A person who authorizes a religious rite.
  • Offspring: The reproductive result.
  • Ogre: A hideous giant in folklore.
  • Oil: Petroleum.
  • Olive: An evergreen tree that cultivates food and oil.
  • Omen: A phenomenon people believe implies a future event.
  • Onus: A burden or obligation.
  • Option: The act of choosing.
  • Otherness: Something that’s different from others.

List of English Nouns That Start With P

  • Packet: A small bundle or package.
  • Palace: The official residence for a chief of state.
  • Parlor: A room used to converse with guests.
  • Past: Time gone by.
  • Patent: An official document conferring a right; a license.
  • Peach: An edible fruit with a central stone.
  • Peak: A pointed part of something.
  • Peal: Loud ringing of bells.
  • Pen: A small enclosure for animals; an instrument for writing or drawing.
  • Person: An individual human.
  • Petal: A leaf of a flower.
  • Phrase: A short expression.
  • Physic: The art of healing disease.
  • Pill: A small rounded mass that contains medicine.
  • Pimple: A small inflamed part of the skin.
  • Plaid: Twilled wool fabric with a tartan pattern.
  • Player: A person who competes in a game.
  • Plenty: An abundance of one thing.
  • Plume: A feather from a bird.
  • Pneumatology: The study of spiritual beings.
  • Pocket: A purse; an opening in clothing for carrying items.
  • Poem: A written composition in verse.
  • Potter: A person that makes ceramics.
  • Proof: Evidence that compels acceptance.
  • Prime: The earliest stage.
  • Psychology: The science of behavior.
  • Puddle: A small pool of water usually caused by rain.
  • Pulse: Rhythmic beating.
  • Purse: A small bag used for money.
  • Pylon: A massive gateway.

List of English Nouns That Start With Q

  • Quad: A ski lift that holds four people.
  • Quail: A small gallinaceous bird.
  • Quake: A period of shaking.
  • Quality: Nature; property; grade.
  • Qualm: An uneasy feeling about a point.
  • Quantity: A total number or amount.
  • Quantum: Quantity; amount; portion.
  • Quarrel: A ground for complaint.
  • Quarry: A game; an open excavation for gathering stone.
  • Quarter: One of four equal parts.
  • Quartz: A mineral consisting of silicon dioxide.
  • Quay: A structure parallel to a waterway bank.
  • Queen: The wife of a king.
  • Quell: Slaughter.
  • Query: Question or doubt.
  • Quern: A hand mill that grinds grain.
  • Quest: An investigation; an act of seeking information.
  • Question: Inquiring; testing knowledge.
  • Questionnaire: A set of questions for getting personal information.
  • Queue: A line where people wait.
  • Quibble: A minor criticism.
  • Quiche: A savory pie.
  • Quill: A pen for writing that is made from a feather.
  • Quilt: A bed cover containing two layers of cloth, padding, and a stitched design.
  • Quirk: An abrupt twist.
  • Quiz: A test.
  • Quoin: Solid exterior angle.
  • Quota: A fixed number that members need to meet as a requirement.
  • Quote: To speak or write something that somebody else said first.
  • Quotidian: The ordinary.

List of English Nouns That Start With R

  • Rack: A stand where you place things.
  • Raffle: A lottery where people buy chances to win prizes.
  • Rag: A waste piece of cloth.
  • Rash: An eruption on the body.
  • Rattle: A device that rattles, usually a baby toy.
  • Record: Something that remembers past events.
  • Refill: Something that’s provided anew.
  • Rest: Sleep; freedom from labor.
  • Result: Something that comes from an issue or conclusion.
  • Resume: An account of a person’s career or qualifications.
  • Revel: A wild party.
  • Rhetoric: Skill for effective language.
  • Rhubarb: An Asian plant with large leaves and thick petioles.
  • Rhumb: Points on a mariner’s compass.
  • Rhythm: A part of music that compromises all elements in a forward movement.
  • Rib: A curved pony part of the body that protects the viscera.
  • Riches: Things that make somebody rich.
  • Ride: Mechanical devices at an amusement park for enjoyment.
  • Ripple: Ruffling surface of water.
  • Risk: Possibility of injury or death.
  • Road: A way for vehicles, people, or animals.
  • Rose: F flower with thorns and showy petals.
  • Router: a device that transmits data over a network.
  • Row: A line along which objects are arranged.
  • Rubber: An instrument used for erasing or cleaning.
  • Rule: A guide for actions or laws.
  • Rumble: A low continuous muffled noise.
  • Russet: A coarse homespun cloth, usually reddish-brown.
  • Rustle: Quick small sounds.
  • Rye: An annual grass that produces grain.

List of English Nouns That Start With S

  • Sachet: A small bag or packet.
  • Sass: Back talk; bold rudeness.
  • Savant: A person of learning, usually with detailed knowledge in a specific field.
  • Scalar: A quantity that has magnitude countable by numbers but no direction.
  • Scheme: A plan; design; graphic outline.
  • School: A teaching institute.
  • Seal: A guarantee or assurance; something that secures.
  • Secant: A straight line cutting a curve at two or more points.
  • Send: The lift of a wave.
  • Sewage: Waste matter carried off through sewers.
  • Sheep: A gregarious ruminant mammal that is stocky, domesticated for flesh and wool.
  • Shrug: The act of shrugging.
  • Shunt: A mechanism for turning, such as a surgical passage to divert blood from one part of the body to another.
  • Sign: A motion or gesture; signal.
  • Sinus: The cavity in the bone of the skull that communicates with nostrils and contains air.
  • Sip: A small amount of liquid drank.
  • Sketch: A rough drawing, often used for early studying.
  • Skillet: A frying pan.
  • Skull: The skeleton of the head.
  • Slice: A thin piece or wedge cut from something.
  • Slide: A chute with a slippery surface for children to play.
  • Slough: A place of deep mud; swamp.
  • Smirk: A smile that conveys a self-satisfied attitude.
  • Snow: Small white ice crystals that fall from the sky.
  • Snuff: The charred bit of a candlewick.
  • Soul: The immaterial essence of an individual life.
  • Spy: A person who keeps secret watch.
  • Squeeze: Compression; the act of compressing something.
  • Statue: A 3-D representation of a person, place, or thing through sculpturing or casting.
  • Survey: The act of examining something.

List of English Nouns That Start With T

  • Tart: A dish baked in pastry; pie.
  • Taste: A sense to perceive different flavors.
  • Tattle: Idle chatter or gossip.
  • Temple: A building for religious practice.
  • Tenure: Status granted after a trial period to a teacher so they can’t be dismissed.
  • Term: A limited extent of time.
  • Thesis: A dissertation presenting original research with a specific argument or claim.
  • Thud: A dull sound; thump.
  • Thyme: An Eurasian mint with pungent leaves.
  • Tiara: A jeweled or flowered headband that women wear on formal occasions.
  • Tie: Something that connects something.
  • Timber: Growing trees or wood from trees.
  • Title: A distinguishing name of a person, movie, or book.
  • Token: A coin used for a particular term, such as taking a bus.
  • Tomb: A grave; a vault for the dead.
  • Tome: A book, usually large and academic.
  • Toxin: A poisonous substance.
  • Trait: A personal character quality.
  • Trash: Something worth nothing; things that have been thrown out.
  • Tribe: A social group composed of families or clans with shared ancestry.
  • Tube: A cylindrical device, such as a container (like toothpaste).
  • Tuck: A fold stitched into cloth to shorten a garment.
  • Tumble: A messy state.
  • Tweed: A rough woolen fabric made in twill weaves, especially for suits and coats.
  • Twinkle: A flicker or sparkle.
  • Twitch: A brief contraction of muscle fibers.
  • Type: A particular kind; sort; printed letters.
  • Typewriter: A machine with a keyboard that strikes an ink-soaked ribbon to put words on paper.
  • Typography: Letterpress printing.
  • Tyrant: A ruler who exercises oppressive power.

List of English Nouns That Start With U

  • Uakari: A medium-sized monkey.
  • Ubiquity: The state of being everywhere at once.
  • Udal: An allodial system of land tenure only in Shetland and Orkney.
  • Udder: The mammary gland of animals like cows, sheep, and goats.
  • Udometer: A rain gauge.
  • UFO: An unidentified flying object.
  • Ugliness: The state of being bad-looking.
  • Ukulele: A small Portuguese guitar with four strings.
  • Ulcer: A break in skin with loss of surface tissue.
  • Ullage: The amount that a tank lacks being full.
  • Ultrasound: A technique that allows for a two-dimensional image of internal body structures.
  • Ulva: Sea lettuce.
  • Umber: A moderate brown.
  • Umbrella: A collapsible shade for protection against weather.
  • Uncle: The brother of one’s father or mother.
  • Undercut: The lower part of something.
  • Universe: The whole body of things; cosmos; great number.
  • Unrest: Turmoil.
  • Untruth: Lack of honesty.
  • Upgrade: An increase; rise; improvement.
  • Uphill: Rising ground.
  • Uproar: A state of excitement or violence.
  • Upstroke: The stroke in an upwards direction.
  • Uranium: A silver radioactive element found in uraninite.
  • Urge: An impulse towards an activity or goal.
  • Urn: A vessel that is used for various purposes, including containing ashes after cremation.
  • User: A person who uses a product or service.
  • Usher: One who shows people to their seats.
  • Utopia: A place of ideal perfection, usually in terms of laws and government.
  • Uva: Radiation in the region of the ultraviolet spectrum.

List of English Nouns That Start With V

  • Valance: Draper hung along the edge of a bed, table, or shelf.
  • Valley: A long depression in the earth’s surface.
  • Valve: A device that starts or stops the flow of liquid, gas, or material.
  • Van: A wagon or motor truck for transporting goods or animals.
  • Vane: A moveable device attached to an elevated object to show the wind’s direction.
  • Vapor: Diffused matter that floats in the air.
  • Vase: A round vessel generally used for holding flowers.
  • Vault: An arched structure forming a ceiling or roof; burial chamber.
  • Vein: A blood vessel.
  • Velvet: Clothing or fabric with short, dense warp piles.
  • Vent: An opening for liquid or gas to escape from.
  • Verbiage: Manner of expression oneself; diction.
  • Vermin: Small harmful animals that are hard to control.
  • Vessel: A container for holding something.
  • Vestry: Room for church meetings.
  • View: Sight; the act of examining; scene.
  • Villa: A country estate, usually belonging to a wealthy person.
  • Vine: A plant whose stem needs support.
  • Virus: A disease or illness caused by infectious agents.
  • Visor: Front part of a helmet; disguise.
  • Visual: Something graphic that we can see, usually used for illustration.
  • Vlog: A video blog.
  • Void: An opening or empty space; the feeling of hollowness.
  • Volcano: A vent in the earth’s crust from which molten or hot rock comes.
  • Votary: A dedicated worshiper.
  • Voucher: A form indicating credit towards purchases.
  • Voyage: A journey; a period of traveling, especially by sea.
  • Vulgarian: A gross or pretentious person.
  • Vulnerability: The state of being capable of physical or emotional wounds.
  • Vulture: A large bird related to hawks but with weaker claws and a naked head.

List of English Nouns That Start With W

  • Wage: Payment in money for labor or services.
  • Wallow: A muddy area with dust used by animals.
  • Waltz: A ballroom dance in ¾ time.
  • War: A period of armed conflict.
  • Watch: The act of protecting or attending; a portable timepiece worn on the wrist.
  • Water: A natural liquid from the clouds as rain, streams, lakes, and seas.
  • Wealth: An abundant supply; profusion.
  • Weapon: Something used to defeat or injure another person or thing.
  • Weed: A plant that isn’t valued that tends to overgrow.
  • Well: An opening in the earth containing water.
  • Welter: A state of disorder or turmoil.
  • Wheel: Circular frame that turns on an axle.
  • Wheeze: A sound that is breathy and whistling.
  • Whey: Watery part of milk.
  • Whit: Smallest part.
  • Whirl: A quick circling movement.
  • Whisk: A wired kitchen utensil used for beating food.
  • Wick: Bundle of fibers that can be burned in lamps or candles.
  • Wig: A manufactured covering of hair for the head.
  • Wing: A part of an animal that helps with flight.
  • Winter: The cold season between autumn and spring.
  • Wish: A goal or want.
  • Womb: A uterus; a place where something is generated.
  • Wool: The soft undercoat of hairy mammals, such as sheep.
  • Worrier: A person who experiences mental distress or anxiety.
  • Wound: An injury that involves laceration.
  • Wreath: Something arranged in a circular shape, such as flowers.
  • Wreck: Something destroyed, usually a ship after a crash.
  • Wrestle: The act of struggle or combating.
  • Wrinkle: A crease.

List of English Nouns That Start With X

  • Xanthate: A salt of any of various thio acids.
  • Xanthine: A feebly basic compound that occurs in animal or plant tissue.
  • Xanthippe: An ill-tempered woman.
  • Xanthium: A coarse spiny herb with greenish flowers and hooked bristles.
  • Xanthophore: A chromatophore with yellow pigment occurring in fish and crustaceans.
  • Xanthophyll: Yellow to orange carotenoid pigments.
  • Xanthus: A city of ancient Lycia.
  • Xat: A carved pole that memorializes the dead in some Indian cultures in West North America.
  • Xebec: A 3-masted Mediterranean sailing ship.
  • Xenia: The effect of genes introduced by pollen, especially on embryo development.
  • Xenograft: A tissue graft taken from one donor and grafted into another.
  • Xenomania: An excessive attachment to foreign things.
  • Xenon: A heavy colorless element that occurs in the air and is used in electric lamps.
  • Xenophobic: A person who fears or dislikes foreigners or foreign things.
  • Xenotime: A mineral that is a phosphate of yttrium.
  • Xerox: A xerographic copier.
  • Xhosa: A member of a Bantu-speaking people from Eastern Cape province.
  • Xi: The 14th letter of the Greek alphabet.
  • Xiphius: A genus of large scombroid fishes.
  • Xmas: Christmas.
  • Xoanon: A primitive image of wood.
  • XOR: A logical condition whose output is true when two inputs are true.
  • Xu: A coin minted by South Vietnam equal to the cent.
  • Xylem: A complex tissue in the vascular system.
  • Xylene: Toxic flammable hydrocarbons that are obtained from petroleum.
  • Xylograph: The art of engraving wood for printing.
  • Xylophone: A wooden percussion instruction that makes sound with two small hammers.
  • Xylosma: Usually evergreen trees and shrubs with thorns and fine-textured wood.
  • Xrysi: American marsh plants with yellow flowers and three sepals.
  • Xystus: A long portico used by ancient Greeks for athletic exercises in winter.

List of English Nouns That Start With Y

  • Yacht: A sailboat for racing or leisurely cruising.
  • Yak: A long-haired ox.
  • Yap: Quick sharp bark; yelp.
  • Yard: A court; grounds surrounding a house usually covered with grass.
  • Yardstick: A stick measured three feet long.
  • Yarn: A similar strange of another material.
  • Year: The period of 365 solar days.
  • Yearbook: A book published yearly with statistics and facts.
  • Yearning: A tender longing.
  • Yell: A scream or shout.
  • Yesterday: The day before last.
  • Yew: An evergreen tree and shrub with stiff leaves and seeds surrounding red aril.
  • Yield: Product.
  • Yin: The feminine, passive principle that exhibits darkness or wetness in Chinese cosmology.
  • Yobbo: A hoodlum.
  • Yodel: A song sung by changing one’s natural voice to a falsetto and back.
  • Yoga: A system of physical postures and breathing that is practiced for emotional and physical health.
  • Yogi: A person who practices yoga.
  • Yogurt: Fermented semi-solid food made from milk.
  • Yojan: A unit equal to about five miles.
  • Yokel: Naive inhabitant of a small rural town.
  • Yolk: The inner yellow part of an egg.
  • Yore: Time past.
  • Young: Youth; immature offspring.
  • Youth: A time in life when a person is young.
  • Yttrium: A metallic element that usually occurs with rare earth elements.
  • Yucca: A plant in the agave family with sword-shaped leaves, a woody base, and white blossoms.
  • Yulan: A Chinese magnolia with white-scented flowers.
  • Yule: Christmas.
  • Yurt: A circular domed tent used by pastoral people in inner Asia.

List of English Nouns That Start With Z

  • Zaffer: An impure cobalt oxide found as an earthy powder.
  • Zag: One of sharp turns or angles.
  • Zambo: A Latin-American person of mixed indigenous and African ancestry.
  • Zander: A pike perch of central Europe.
  • Zany: A comically wild or eccentric person.
  • Zap: A sudden forceful blow.
  • Zax: A tool for trimming roof slates.
  • Zeal: Fervor or eagerness in pursuit of something.
  • Zebra: An African mammal with black and dark brown stripes.
  • Zealot: A person who is eager for something.
  • Zenana: A part of Hindu or Muslim housing that is reserved for women.
  • Zero: The arithmetic symbol ‘0’ conveys the absence of quantity.
  • Zest: A piece of a citrus fruit peel used for flavor.
  • Zeta: The sixth letter of the Greek alphabet.
  • Zig: One of the sharp turns in a zigzag course.
  • Zillah: An administrative district in India.
  • Zimb: A large fly native to Abyssinia.
  • Zinc: A bluish-white metallic element used in alloys or protective coating.
  • Zinger: Something meant to cause shock.
  • Zip: A sharp hissing sound; the closing and opening of a piece of clothing.
  • Zippo: Nothing at all.
  • Zit: A pimple; a small red spot on the skin.
  • Zombie: A person sometimes called the walking dead.
  • Zone: A portion of the earth’s surface; a region or area set apart from surrounding areas.
  • Zoning: The act of partitioning a place into zones.
  • Zookeeper: A person who cares for zoo animals.
  • Zoologist: A person who studies animals and their behavior.
  • Zoom: The means of producing a larger image on camera.
  • Zucchini: A smooth dark green cylindrical summer squash.
  • Zygote: A cell formed by the union of two gametes.

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About the Author

Beth McCallum

Beth McCallum is a Scottish freelance writer & book blogger with a degree in creative writing, journalism and English literature. She is a mum to a young boy, and believes that it truly takes a village. When she’s not parenting, writing about parenting, or working, she can be found reading, working on her novel, taking photos, playing board games or wandering through the countryside with her family.