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As far as I know, a countable noun should be plural after any in questions. For example:

Are there any books on the desk?

So is it incorrect to say:

Is there any means of contacting him?

(Oxford dictionary)

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2 Answers 2

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According to Oxford Dictionaries 'mean' can be "treated as singular or plural".

Means (noun): Even though it ends in an ‘s’, means is a singular noun. We use a singular verb with it. We use it to talk about a method of doing something:

The most economical means of travelling to Aberdeen is by plane.

Check this.

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As far as I know, a countable noun should be plural after any in questions.

That's not right. As to your question, both singular and plural nouns can be used after the word any. E.g.,
Is there any chance of going to cinema?
Are there any historical books in the library?
She doesn't have any friends.

So is it incorrect to say:
Is there any means of contacting him?

No, it is correct. Here the word "means" means method, way, medium etc.
So your sentence can be paraphrased this way:

Is there any way/method of contacting him?

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  • Indeed, "any" can be used with both singular and plural nouns, but it's meaning would change. "Chance" in your example is uncountable. As for "any way/method", I'd use the cardinal article "a" here: "is there a way/method" Jul 4, 2020 at 14:04

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