Staffs and staves are both recognized plural forms of staff, but they are not equally common in every context. Staves is traditionally used for physical staffs, such as sticks, rods, poles, and the lines used for writing music. Staffs is especially common when referring to groups of employees, military officers, or separate teams of staff.
Merriam-Webster lists both staffs and staves as plural forms, while Cambridge notes that staff referring to employees is normally used without a plural -s in British English. (Merriam-Webster) This article explains the difference, its history, British and American usage, common mistakes, and which form to choose in professional writing.
Quick Answer
Both staffs and staves can be correct plural forms of staff, but the right choice depends on the meaning.
Use staves when talking about physical staffs, rods, poles, or musical staffs:
The guards carried wooden staves.
The musician wrote notes on several staves.
The barrels were made from wooden staves.
Use staffs when referring to separate groups of employees, officers, or assistants:
The two departments have different staffs.
Several military staffs attended the meeting.
Merriam-Webster specifically lists staffs for groups of employees and officers, while also recognizing staves as a plural of the physical object and musical meaning. (Merriam-Webster)
There is one important exception: when staff means employees collectively, especially in British English, the usual plural form is simply staff, not staffs.
The hospital employs 300 staff.
Cambridge advises using staff rather than staffs when referring to employees as a group. (Cambridge Dictionary)
The simple rule
Staves = physical staffs or musical lines
Staffs = separate groups of staff or officers
Staff = employees collectively, especially in British English
The Origin of Staffs or Staves
The word staff is very old. It comes from Middle English staf and Old English stæf, originally referring to a stick, pole, rod, or walking stick. The Old English plural was stafas. (Etymology Online)
Over time, English developed the plural staves through an older spelling pattern in which the f sound changed to a v sound in certain plural forms. Similar patterns appear in words such as:
- leaf → leaves
- half → halves
- knife → knives
- staff → staves
Interestingly, the noun stave itself developed later from the older plural staves. Etymonline dates the noun stave to around 1750 and describes it as a back-formation from the earlier plural. (Etymology Online)
English later developed the regular plural staffs, following the common pattern of adding -s.
That is why modern English has two plural forms:
staff → staves
staff → staffs
The meaning and context usually determine which one sounds most natural.
British English vs American English Spelling
British and American English generally recognize both staffs and staves, but usage differs depending on the meaning of staff.
In British English, staff commonly refers to employees as a collective noun, so writers usually say:
The hotel has 100 staff.
Cambridge explicitly advises against staffs when referring to employees and recommends staff instead. (Cambridge Dictionary)
In American English, staffs is more readily accepted as the plural when referring to separate groups of employees or officers. Merriam-Webster lists staffs as a plural form for groups of people serving as employees or assistants. (Merriam-Webster)
For physical objects and musical notation, staves remains a recognized form in both varieties.
| Meaning | British English | American English |
|---|---|---|
| Employees collectively | staff | staff / staffs in some contexts |
| Several separate employee groups | staffs can occur | staffs |
| Walking sticks or rods | staves | staves or staffs |
| Musical notation | staves | staves |
| Barrel pieces | staves | staves |
| Military groups | staffs | staffs |
Cambridge defines staves as the plural of staff and stave, while its dictionary examples include physical wooden pieces and musical notation. (Cambridge Dictionary)
Which Spelling Should You Use?
Choose the form based on what staff means in your sentence, not simply on whether you are writing British or American English.
Use “staves” for physical objects
If you mean sticks, rods, poles, or similar objects, staves is a traditional and widely accepted choice.
The warriors carried wooden staves.
Use “staves” for music
In musical terminology, staves refers to multiple sets of the five horizontal lines and spaces used for written music.
The score contains twelve staves.
Cambridge identifies stave as the British term for the musical staff and notes that in American English it is called a staff. (Cambridge Dictionary)
Use “staffs” for separate groups
When you mean different groups of employees, officers, or assistants, staffs can be appropriate.
The staffs of the two hospitals met to discuss the project.
However, in ordinary British English, it is often clearer to write:
The staff members from the two hospitals met to discuss the project.
For global audiences
If your readers may come from different English-speaking countries, staff members, teams, or groups of staff can remove ambiguity.
Common Mistakes with Staffs or Staves
Mistake 1: Assuming “staves” is always the only correct plural
It is not.
Staffs is a legitimate plural form. Merriam-Webster lists both forms. (Merriam-Webster)
The two military staffs worked together.
Mistake 2: Using “staffs” for ordinary employees
This can sound unnatural, especially in British English.
Less natural:
The company has 500 staffs.
Better:
The company has 500 staff.
Or:
The company has 500 staff members.
Cambridge specifically recommends staff rather than staffs for this meaning. (Cambridge Dictionary)
Mistake 3: Using “staves” for every group of workers
The hospital has several staves.
This is incorrect if you mean employees. Staves normally refers to physical staffs or musical lines, not ordinary employee groups.
Mistake 4: Confusing “staff” and “stave”
Stave is also a singular noun.
One stave was damaged.
Several staves were damaged.
So the relationship can be:
staff → staves
stave → staves
This is one reason the word can be confusing.
Staffs or Staves in Everyday Examples
In emails
For employees:
All staff members must attend the training session.
For separate teams:
The staffs of both branches will attend the meeting.
For physical objects:
The wooden staves have arrived.
In news writing
Military staffs from several countries attended the conference.
Here, staffs refers to separate groups of military officers.
In social media
These old wooden staves are still remarkably strong.
Here, staves refers to physical wooden pieces.
In formal writing
The musical composition contains several staves arranged across the score.
This is a technical use connected with musical notation.
In workplace writing
All staff are expected to complete the training.
This is usually better than all staffs when referring to employees collectively.
Staffs or Staves – Comparison Table
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| staff | Employees collectively | The staff attended the meeting. |
| staffs | Separate groups of employees/officers | The two military staffs met. |
| staffs | Regular plural of certain physical meanings | The museum displayed several staffs. |
| stave | One stick, rod, or musical line | The monk carried a stave. |
| staves | Multiple sticks, rods, or musical lines | The monks carried staves. |
| staves | Pieces forming a barrel | The barrel’s staves were replaced. |
The safest professional choice is to focus on the intended meaning rather than trying to memorize one universal plural.
Staffs or Staves – Google Trends & Usage Data
Google Trends measures search interest, not dictionary correctness or actual word frequency in all forms of writing. It can help show what people search for when they are uncertain about a word, but it should not be treated as a grammar rule. (Cambridge Dictionary)
For staffs or staves, search interest is closely connected with several meanings of the word:
- staff plural grammar
- staves meaning
- staffs meaning
- musical staff
- wooden staves
- military staff
- staff members
The distinction is important because these searches can represent completely different topics.
For example, someone searching for staves may be asking about musical notation or wooden barrel pieces, while someone searching for staffs may be asking about employee groups or military organizations.
Dictionary evidence also shows that staves remains an established plural form. Cambridge defines it as the plural of both staff and stave, while Merriam-Webster lists both staffs and staves as accepted plural forms. (Cambridge Dictionary)
Therefore, search popularity should not determine your spelling. Context is the deciding factor.
FAQs About Staffs or Staves
1. Is “staffs” a correct plural of staff?
Yes. Staffs is a recognized plural form, particularly when referring to separate groups of employees, officers, or other staff. (Merriam-Webster)
2. Is “staves” the plural of staff?
Yes. Staves is a traditional plural of staff and is commonly used for physical staffs and musical staffs. (Cambridge Dictionary)
3. Which is correct: staffs or staves?
Both can be correct. Staves is common for physical staffs and musical notation, while staffs is commonly used for separate groups of employees or officers.
4. What is the plural of staff in British English?
When staff means employees, British English commonly uses staff as the collective plural.
The company employs 200 staff.
Cambridge specifically recommends staff rather than staffs for this meaning. (Cambridge Dictionary)
5. What is the plural of a walking staff?
Staves is a traditional and widely accepted plural.
The hikers carried wooden staves.
Staffs can also be found as a plural form, but staves is often the more natural traditional choice for physical staffs. Merriam-Webster recognizes both. (Merriam-Webster)
6. Is “staves” used in music?
Yes. Staves is the plural of stave, meaning the lines and spaces on which musical notes are written. In American English, staff is commonly used for this musical term. (Cambridge Dictionary)
7. Should I write “staffs” or “staff members” for employees?
For clarity, staff members is often the safest choice when you need to emphasize individual employees. In British English, staff is also commonly used as a collective noun.
8. Is “staffs” more common in American English?
American English accepts staffs as a plural, especially for separate groups of staff. Merriam-Webster lists it as a standard plural form. (Merriam-Webster)
9. What does “staves” mean?
Staves can mean several physical staffs or rods, several pieces of wood forming a barrel, or multiple musical staffs.
10. What is the easiest way to remember the difference?
Think staves = sticks or scores. Think staffs = separate groups.
Conclusion
Staffs and staves are both correct plural forms of staff, but the context determines the better choice. Use staves for physical staffs, rods, barrel pieces, and musical notation; use staffs when referring to separate groups of employees or officers. When staff means employees collectively, especially in British English, simply use staff.
The practical takeaway is to identify the meaning before choosing the plural. For an internal link, connect this article to a related guide on staff vs stuff, since the two words are often confused in spelling and pronunciation.
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