public static function singularize($word)
    {
        $singular = array (
        '/(quiz)zes$/i' => '\1',
        '/(matr)ices$/i' => '\1ix',
        '/(vert|ind)ices$/i' => '\1ex',
        '/^(ox)en/i' => '\1',
        '/(alias|status)es$/i' => '\1',
        '/([octop|vir])i$/i' => '\1us',
        '/(cris|ax|test)es$/i' => '\1is',
        '/(shoe)s$/i' => '\1',
        '/(o)es$/i' => '\1',
        '/(bus)es$/i' => '\1',
        '/([m|l])ice$/i' => '\1ouse',
        '/(x|ch|ss|sh)es$/i' => '\1',
        '/(m)ovies$/i' => '\1ovie',
        '/(s)eries$/i' => '\1eries',
        '/([^aeiouy]|qu)ies$/i' => '\1y',
        '/([lr])ves$/i' => '\1f',
        '/(tive)s$/i' => '\1',
        '/(hive)s$/i' => '\1',
        '/([^f])ves$/i' => '\1fe',
        '/(^analy)ses$/i' => '\1sis',
        '/((a)naly|(b)a|(d)iagno|(p)arenthe|(p)rogno|(s)ynop|(t)he)ses$/i' => '\1\2sis',
        '/([ti])a$/i' => '\1um',
        '/(n)ews$/i' => '\1ews',
        '/s$/i' => '',
        );

        $uncountable = array('equipment', 'information', 'rice', 'money', 'species', 'series', 'fish', 'sheep');

        $irregular = array(
        'person' => 'people',
        'man' => 'men',
        'child' => 'children',
        'sex' => 'sexes',
        'move' => 'moves');

        $lowercased_word = strtolower($word);
        foreach ($uncountable as $_uncountable){
            if(substr($lowercased_word,(-1*strlen($_uncountable))) == $_uncountable){
                return $word;
            }
        }

        foreach ($irregular as $_plural=> $_singular){
            if (preg_match('/('.$_singular.')$/i', $word, $arr)) {
                return preg_replace('/('.$_singular.')$/i', substr($arr[0],0,1).substr($_plural,1), $word);
            }
        }

        foreach ($singular as $rule => $replacement) {
            if (preg_match($rule, $word)) {
                return preg_replace($rule, $replacement, $word);
            }
        }

        return $word;
    }