Learn How to Pronounce staff
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How to pronounce:
staff
Definition:
(nou) personnel who assist their superior in carrying out an assigned task (nou) a strong rod or stick with a specialized utilitarian purpose (nou) the body of teachers and administrators at a school (nou) building material consisting of plaster and hair; used to cover external surfaces of temporary structure (as at an exposition) or for decoration (nou) a rod carried as a symbol (nou) the system of five horizontal lines on which the musical notes are written
Phonetic Transcription:
stɑːf
Examples:
He is the youngest member of the staff.
All members of the staff enthusiastically agreed.
The Senator is the ranking member of the Minority staff.
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How to perfect your pronunciation of: staff
Learn Individual Sounds
Break staff down into individual sounds such as stɑːf. Practice these parts before you learn to say the whole word.
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Common mistakes of staff pronunciation
- Misplacing vowel sounds: Some learners may pronounce "staff" with a long "a" sound, like "stahf". This is incorrect. The correct pronunciation is /stæf/ in US English and /stɑːf/ in UK English. Tip: Focus on the short "a" sound.
- Overemphasizing the "t": A common mistake is to overemphasize the "t" in "staff", making it sound like "staf-t". This is incorrect. The correct pronunciation is /stæf/ or /stɑːf/. Tip: Keep the "t" soft and blend it smoothly.
- Confusing with "staf": Some may mistakenly pronounce "staff" as "staf", dropping the "f" sound. This is incorrect. The correct pronunciation includes the "f" sound at the end: /stæf/ or /stɑːf/. Tip: Ensure you articulate the "f" clearly.
- Incorrect stress placement: Learners might stress the wrong syllable, saying "STAFF" instead of "staff". The word is a single syllable, so it should be pronounced without added stress. Tip: Remember, "staff" has only one syllable.
- Pronouncing as "staffs": Some may incorrectly pluralize "staff" while speaking, saying "staffs". This is not standard. The plural form is "staff" as a collective noun. Tip: Use "staff" for both singular and plural contexts.