Mouse and Mice, but House and Houses
In short: “Mouse” is one of a few old words that change their vowel in the plural. “House” never followed that pattern, so it just adds -s: “houses.”
Why is the plural of "mouse" → "mice," but not "house" → "hice"? Blame Old English roots! Some words changed in the plural (mouse → mice, goose → geese), while others didn’t. So we say “houses,” not “hice”—even though it would match the pattern!
How to use it
Only a small group of common nouns change their vowel: mouse/mice, louse/lice, goose/geese, foot/feet, tooth/teeth, man/men, woman/women. Almost every other noun adds -s or -es. In Old English, “house” belonged to a different group of nouns, so it never became “hice.” For computer mice, both “mice” and “mouses” are used, but “mice” is more common.
Examples
- We found two mice in the garage.
- There are three new houses on our street.
- My feet hurt after walking around all day.
A common mistake
Don’t add -s to these words: say geese, feet and teeth, not “gooses,” “foots” or “tooths.” But don’t over-apply the pattern either: the plural of “house” is houses.
Say it out loud
Tabbi Daily gives you one short lesson like this every day. Listen, record yourself and hear how you sound. Free, no account needed.
Source: Scribbr