How to Pronounce Shaft

To pronounce "shaft", say SHAFT — one syllable, IPA /ʃɑːft/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

shaft

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

5

Letters

/ʃɑːft/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “shaft”

"shaft" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with craft and draft, if that helps it stick.

What does shaft mean?

noun

  1. The entire body of a long weapon, such as an arrow.
  2. The long, narrow, central body of a spear, arrow, or javelin.

    “Her hand slipped off the javelin's shaft towards the spearpoint and that's why her score was lowered.”

verb

  1. To fuck over; to cause harm to, especially through deceit or treachery.

    “Your boss really shafted you by stealing your idea like that.”

  2. To equip with a shaft.

Synonyms

rachismineshaftstailstalestealsteelstele

Words that rhyme with shaft

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

craftdraftgraftdraughtraftaftwitchcraftaircraftdafthafthandicraftcrankshaft

Related words

spearlancebarbscrewpeckertoolprickbeam

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "shaft"?▾

"Shaft" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "shaft"?▾

The IPA transcription of "shaft" is /ʃɑːft/.

What does "shaft" mean?▾

Shaft: The entire body of a long weapon, such as an arrow.

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