Nouns - No Singular

Some nouns are only used in the plural forms. There do not exist any singular forms (plurale tantum = "plural only"). Here are some examples:

German Plurale Tantum	Phonetic Script	English

Determination by meanings

geographic terms
Tropen pl	['tro:pən]	tropics
Alpen pl	['alpən]	Alps


Others

Alimente pl	[ali'mɛntə]	alimony sg, maintainance sg
Einkünfte pl	['ainkʏnftə]	income sg, earnings pl
Eltern pl	['ɛltɐn]	parents pl
Großeltern pl	['gro:sɛltɐn]	grandparents pl
Schwiegereltern pl	['ʃvi:gɐɛltɐn]	parents-in-law pl
Ferien pl	['fe:riən]	holidays pl, vacation sg
Flitterwochen pl	['flɪtɐvɔxən]	honeymoon sg
Gebrüder pl	[gə'bry:dɐ]	brothers pl
Kosten pl	['kɔstən]	costs pl
Leute pl	['lɔytə]	people pl
Masern pl	['ma:zɐn]	measles pl
Memoiren pl	[memo'a:rən]	memoirs pl
Röteln pl	['rø:təln]	rubella sg, German measles pl
Spesen pl	['ʃpe:zən]	expenses pl
Wirren pl	['vɪrən]	confusion sg, turmoil sg

There are also nouns which have a singular form. However, these singular forms are not or hardly used while the plural forms are used most of the time. Here are the most important ones:

German Singular + Plural Forms	Phonetic Script	English

Allüre f sg	[a'ly:rə]	affectation sg
Allüren f pl	[a'ly:rən]	airs and graces pl

Eingeweide nt sg	['aingəvaidə]	bowel sg, viscus sg (internal organ)
Eingeweide nt pl	['aingəvaidə]	entrails pl, innards pl

Finanz f sg	[fi'nants]	finance sg (financial world, financial people)
Finanzen f pl	[fi'nantsən]	finances pl

Musikalie f sg	[muzi'ka:liə]	(printed) musical piece sg
Musikalien f pl	[muzi'ka:liən]	music supplies pl

Trumm nt sg (obsolete)	[trʊm]	fragment sg, whopper sg
Trümmer nt pl	['trʏmɐ]	rubble sg, wreckage sg, debris sg, ruins pl

Windpocke f sg	['wɪntpɔkə]	chicken pock sg
Windpocken f pl	['wɪntpɔkən]	chicken pox pl, varicella pl