downstairs
down·stairs/daʊnˈstɛɹz/adjective, adverb, noun
downstairs is spelled D-O-W-N-S-T-A-I-R-S: 10 letters and 2 syllables (down·stairs). It appears 5.2 times per million words in written English, the 10,843rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, downstairs means “Located on a lower floor” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in downstairs?
| Letters | 10: D-O-W-N-S-T-A-I-R-S |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: down·stairs |
| In writing | 5.2 times per million words; the 10,843rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is downstairs?
Downstairs appears 5.2 times per million words in written English, the 10,843rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce downstairs?
- US /daʊnˈstɛɹz/
- UK /daʊnˈstɛəz/
- Australia /daʊnˈsteːz/
Downstairs has 2 syllables, split down·stairs in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-downstairs.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with downstairs?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as downstairs from its last stressed vowel (/ɛɹz/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of downstairs
- further downstairs comparative
- farther downstairs comparative
- furthest downstairs superlative
- farthest downstairs superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does downstairs mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Located on a lower floor.
The kids sleep in the downstairs bedroom; we sleep in the upstairs one.
- 2
Originating in or associated with a lower, embedded clause, as opposed to the matrix clause.
adverb
- 1
Down the stairs.
I have to walk downstairs to leave the building.
- 2
In or to hell.
- 3
slangRegarding the genitalia.
something wrong downstairs
- 4
In or to a lower, embedded clause, as opposed to the matrix clause.
noun
- 1
The lower floor of a house, at ground level, or sometimes below.
We looked over the house; downstairs was spacious, but upstairs really cramped.
- 2
In particular, especially historically, the servants’ quarters.
The family tried to ignore gossip from downstairs.
- 3
slangThe genitalia.
The wind lifted up her skirt and I caught a glimpse of her downstairs.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Downstairs in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | en bas , au-dessous |
| German | unten, treppab, treppabwärts, nach unten |
| Portuguese | embaixo |
| Spanish | abajo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does downstairs come from?
From down- + stair + -s.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).