stafs
/stæfs/
staffs is pronounced stafs (/stæfs/). Staffs (plural noun) refers to multiple staff members or support personnel within an organization, or, in a broader sense, multiple staffs or rods used for support. As a plural form of staff, it often denotes groups rather than a single unit. In context, it can signal administrative teams, or physical staffs used in various capacities.
Staffs (plural noun) refers to multiple staff members or support personnel within an organization, or, in a broader sense, multiple staffs or rods used for support. As a plural form of staff, it often denotes groups rather than a single unit. In context, it can signal administrative teams, or physical staffs used in various capacities.
"The hospital has expanded its research teams, increasing the number of staffs on duty."
"Both departments met to discuss the new policies, and several staffs volunteered to help."
"The museum added staff to guide visitors during peak hours."
Pronounce it as /stæfs/ in US and UK; in Australian you’ll typically hear /stæfs/ as well. The word starts with a voiceless /s/ + /t/ blend, then the vowel /æ/ as in cat, and ends with /fs/ — a voiceless /f/ followed by a voiceless /s/. The stress is on the single syllable overall. A quick cue: think 'staff' with a plural /s/ added, making the final consonant cluster /fs/ clear.
The most common errors: 1) Losing the final /s/ and ending with /f/ only, e.g., /stæf/. 2) Voicing the final /s/ as /z/ in careful speech, giving /stæfz/ instead of /stæfs/. 3) Merging the /t/ and /f/ into /tf/ with a weaker /t/ release. Correction: keep a clean /t/ release before the /f/; make sure the /s/ follows immediately after the /f/, producing /stæfs/ with a crisp final /s/. Practice with minimal pairs to fix the final cluster timing.
In US and UK, final /fs/ cluster remains, but Vowel quality can differ in nearby vowels; US /stæfs/ vs UK /stɑːfs/ shows vowel shift in non-rhotic contexts and /ɑː/ in UK. Australian speakers typically maintain /stæfs/ with slight rounding of /a/ and a crisp /s/. Overall, rhoticity in US sometimes affects surrounding vowels, but the /fs/ cluster is stable cross-dialectally.
The challenge is the final consonant cluster /fs/. It requires precise articulation of a voiceless /f/ followed immediately by /s/ without vocalic interference, and the vowel before the cluster is short /æ/ in most accents. For non-native speakers, the transition from /æ/ to /f/ can be slippery; keep the jaw relaxed, tip of the tongue behind the upper teeth for /f/, then push air with a light /s/.
The word can be confused with the musical staff/staves in writing, where /stæfs/ vs /stɛvz/ can cause misreadings in rapid text, but spoken form remains /stæfs/. The surprise for many is how the plural adds forceful /s/ after an /f/ without extra vowel; you must hold the /f/ and release into /s/ cleanly, avoiding a 'stafz' mispronunciation.
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Staffs derives from staff, which in its broad sense means a stick or rod used for support or as a symbol of authority, dating back to Old English stadiums? Actually 'staff' comes from Old English staf, related to German Stab, meaning a stem or rod. The plural form staffs usually emerges through standard English rule: add -s to form the plural. The sense related to personnel appears in the 16th–18th centuries as “a group of people employed” and as a set of organizational units, often used in phrases like “the staff of a hospital.” Early uses align with the metaphor of a “staff” as a column or backbone of an institution, later evolving to denote bodies of employees. First known uses vary by dialect, but records show “staffs” used in institutional contexts by the 18th century, reflecting the shift from physical staff to figurative staff representing personnel. In modern English, the plural stylization remains standard, with “staff” serving as both a mass noun and a count noun depending on context.
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Words that rhyme with "staffs"
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