Is Stuffs Plural From Stuff?

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Is Stuffs Plural From Stuff?

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Hi,
Is there any difference between the words stuff and stuffs? I don't know if stuff is countable or not, but stuffs should be plural, shouldn't it? However, I searched Google to check about it and I've found that many pages have something as "Free stuff" or "Funny stuff" - it can't be that they offer only one thing on their page, but I've found "Cool stuffs" as well and I'm confused now.
Thanks in advance.
p.s. Does the usage of present perfect/simple past fit in the above paragraph?

Apr 27 2008 10:49:17

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Stuff is normally uncountable: I don't have much stuff. So cool stuffs is not good English. However, you will occasionally see it legitimately pluralized in some special uses, as for fabrics and scientific materials.

Apr 27 2008 11:06:45

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Thanks for the reply Micawber.
What about a tenses I used? Are they correct?

Apr 27 2008 20:46:37

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Yes, your tenses are fine.

Apr 27 2008 22:52:39

The singular and plural for stuff is stuff. For example good stuff, cool stuff etc and there cannot be cool stuffs, it is often a mistake that people make. However when stuff is used as a verb like stuffing or he stuffs a lot of food etc is correct. So stuffs can be used only in the place of a verb.

Oct 05 2009 18:17:26

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I've just searched the answer to this question myself on the internet, but it's confusing. so I've opened the dictionary, and, as I knew, the word stuff, as a noun, has no plural. it's marked as uncountable -

Oct 14 2009 11:24:59

Hello Anonymous posters,

As Mister Micawber has already posted, the noun stuff is usually uncountable, so that is the way you should generally use it. However, as Mister Micawber has also stated, there are a few very specialized ways to use the plural form (stuffs). Most of the time you won't need these specialized uses. That is why dictionaries (especially abridged dictionaries) often state that stuff only uncountable.

One fairly common use of the plural form of this noun (stuffs) is the compound word foodstuffs.
Cambridge Dictionary: foodstuffs

Oct 14 2009 13:42:03

If stuff is a plural word you would use are with it instead of is?

Example: "Those stuff are breakable." rather than, "That stuff is breakable."

Though stuff is plural, it actually represents 1 single unit of multiple things, which should make it a singular word.

Things, however, would represent multiple units of single things.

So it seems to me that stuff is a singular word and therefore stuffs, though it doesn't sound proper, would actually be its plural form.

Dec 06 2011 17:42:15

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You're applying logic to language?! English, as a language is known for not conforming to stated rules very often. The number of exception for a rule outweigh the rules themselves. So, when you say,"so it seems to me", you're simply wrong. Why? Well, that's because it's English. Had logic worked, Wren & Martin would be a handout and just ten pages long :-P

Mar 07 2012 19:33:00

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.
Stuff is normally uncountable: I don't have much stuff. So cool stuffs is not good English. However, you will occasionally see it legitimately pluralized in some special uses, as for fabrics and scientific materials.
Thanks for the reply Micawber.
What about a tenses I used? Are they correct?
The singular and plural for stuff is stuff. For example good stuff, cool stuff etc and there cannot be cool stuffs, it is often a mistake that people make. However when stuff is used as a verb like stuffing or he stuffs a lot of food etc is correct. So stuffs can be used only in the place of a verb.
I've just searched the answer to this question myself on the internet, but it's confusing. so I've opened the dictionary, and, as I knew, the word stuff, as a noun, has no plural. it's marked as uncountable -
Hello Anonymous posters,

As Mister Micawber has already posted, the noun stuff is usually uncountable, so that is the way you should generally use it. However, as Mister Micawber has also stated, there are a few very specialized ways to use the plural form (stuffs). Most of the time you won't need these specialized uses. That is why dictionaries (especially abridged dictionaries) often state that stuff only uncountable.

One fairly common use of the plural form of this noun (stuffs) is the compound word foodstuffs.
Cambridge Dictionary: foodstuffs
If stuff is a plural word you would use are with it instead of is?

Example: "Those stuff are breakable." rather than, "That stuff is breakable."

Though stuff is plural, it actually represents 1 single unit of multiple things, which should make it a singular word.

Things, however, would represent multiple units of single things.

So it seems to me that stuff is a singular word and therefore stuffs, though it doesn't sound proper, would actually be its plural form.
You're applying logic to language?! English, as a language is known for not conforming to stated rules very often. The number of exception for a rule outweigh the rules themselves. So, when you say,"so it seems to me", you're simply wrong. Why? Well, that's because it's English. Had logic worked, Wren & Martin would be a handout and just ten pages long :-P

doriscornago · Accepted Answer · 2020-11-28T15:27

This has been answered in detail here: https://www.englishforums.com/blog/plural-of-stuff-growing-your-vocabulary/

Is Stuffs Plural From Stuff?

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