1st Grade · Core Spelling
Inflectional Endings: -s and -es
Twelve 1st Grade plural words that practice preserving a base word and adding -s or -es.
These spelling words are a good fit for students who...
- can spell the shorter word inside a plural such as “cats” or “dishes”
- can hear when a plural ending adds an extra beat, as it does in “boxes”
- are beginning to notice whether a plural needs just -s or the extra -es ending
Word list
The 12 words to practice in this step
1st Grade · Core Spelling
- cats
- dogs
- cups
- beds
- boxes
- dishes
- wishes
- brushes
- fixes
- buzzes
- passes
- lunches
12 words
Spelling Skill
Plural Words with -s and -es
Learn how this spelling pattern works, see examples, common mistakes, and teaching guidance.
Explore the Plural Words with -s and -es skill →Why these words — and what they teach
These words compare two common plural spellings. Cats, dogs, cups, and beds preserve the base word and add -s; that ending can sound /s/ or /z/. Boxes, dishes, wishes, brushes, fixes, buzzes, passes, and lunches add -es after endings such as s, x, z, sh, and ch, creating an extra syllable that can be heard.
This lesson follows long-vowel patterns because children now have a larger store of base-word spellings to preserve while adding meaning. The list stays with regular plurals so the child can focus on seeing the unchanged base word and choosing -s or -es; other uses and exceptions belong in later instruction.
How to practice this list
Say a singular word and its plural—cat, cats or dish, dishes. Have your child write the base word first, box it, and then add the ending. Ask whether the base ends with a hissing or buzzing sound and whether the plural adds another syllable. Practice singular/plural pairs before mixing -s and -es words.
Leaving off the ending is a normal early error when the child focuses on the object word but not the meaning “more than one.” Return to the singular/plural pair and let the child add the missing spelling. Writing boxs shows that the child preserved the base and heard a plural ending; say boxes slowly, notice the extra syllable, and compare it with another -es example rather than asking the child to memorize the whole word.
When your child can preserve the base words, choose -s or -es in mixed practice, and repair an error by listening for the ending and any extra syllable, they are ready for Inflectional Endings: -ed and -ing.