How to pronounce shaft
Say it like SHAFT. Shaft is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce shaft. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SHAFT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Shaft pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SHAFTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
American vs British pronunciation of shaft
- British speakers use the long "ah" vowel of father where Americans use the "a" of cat.
British respelling: SHAHFT.
What does shaft mean?
- a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
- an aggressive remark directed at a person like a missile and intended to have a telling effect“his parting shot was `drop dead'”“she threw shafts of sarcasm”
- a long rod or pole (especially the handle of an implement or the body of a weapon like a spear or arrow)
- equip with a shaft
- defeat someone through trickery or deceit
Where does shaft come from?
In Early Modern English, shaft referred to the entire body of a long weapon, such that an arrow's “shaft” was composed of its tip, stale, and fletching.
Words that rhyme with shaft
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of shaft.
Questions about saying shaft
How do you pronounce shaft?
Say SHAFT. The American pronunciation is /ʃæft/. In British English it is /ʃɑːft/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in shaft?
Shaft is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SHAFT.
Is shaft pronounced differently in British English?
Yes. British speakers use the long "ah" vowel of father where Americans use the "a" of cat. The British form is /ʃɑːft/ (SHAHFT).