Apiece means “to each one,” or “for each person.” It indicates division or allocation, often used with quantities (e.g., items apiece) to show per-member distribution. The term is formal or literary in tone and concise in usage, typically used in lists, pricing, or instructions where equal shares are meant.
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"The tickets were priced at $20 apiece."
"The gifts were distributed apiece among the children."
"They were given a pint apiece after the tour."
"Each student received a workbook apiece for the course."
Apiece originates from the phrase a piece, a two-word construction dating to the late Middle English and early Modern English periods. The sense is straightforward: “to a piece” or “to one piece” of a whole. The evolution reflects a pragmatic term used for distribution or division, especially in arithmetic or commerce. The construction began appearing in English texts during the 14th–15th centuries, aligning with other distributive phrases such as “a piece” or “per head.” Over time, apiece became a fixed adverbial or predeterminer-like entity meaning “for each item” or “to each one,” commonly used in formal, instructional, or narrative contexts when precise per-unit assignment is intended. Its usage remains relatively stable, though nowadays it may appear in both spoken and written English with equal frequency, often in fixed expressions like “priced apiece” or “distributed apiece.” Historical records show its first attested uses in legal and accounting documents where per-unit allocations were described clearly for auditing or inventory purposes. The pronunciation has remained stable with a short “a” vowel, but the spelling preserved the historical “a” from the phrase a piece, reinforcing its etymological roots as a unitary, distributive phrase.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "apiece" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "apiece" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "apiece"
-ece sounds
-ase sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as ə-PIES with stress on the second syllable. IPA: US/UK/AU əˈpiːs. Begin with a soft, unstressed schwa /ə/, then raise to a long /iː/ through the lips and tongue, ending with a voiceless /s/. Keep the final /s/ crisp; avoid adding an extra vowel after /ː/.
Common errors include misplacing stress (pronouncing apiece as a-PICE with even stress) and shortening the vowel to /ɪ/ as in piece. Another is inserting an extra syllable (apeece) or pronouncing /ˈeɪ/ instead of /ːiː/. To correct: maintain two syllables with stress on the second, use a clear long /iː/ and end with a crisp /s/, keeping the first syllable as a weak schwa.
In US/UK/AU, the nucleus of the second syllable is a long /iː/. Rhoticity does not alter the vowel in apiece; all share əˈpiːs. The main differences lie in preceding consonants and the final /s/ realization in connected speech. Australians may display slightly brighter vowel quality, but the core /ˈpiː/ is consistent; the starting schwa remains unreduced similarly in all three.
The challenge is the unstressed schwa in the first syllable combined with the long /iː/ in the second, then a final /s/. Smoothly linking from /ə/ to /ˈpiː/ requires precise timing to avoid a clipped first syllable or an over-extended vowel. Another difficulty is maintaining a crisp, unvoiced /s/ after a long vowel without voicing spillover.
Two key features: (1) the second syllable has a tense high front vowel /iː/ not a lax /ɪ/; (2) the transition from the unstressed /ə/ to /ˈpiː/ should be smooth, avoiding a strong onset on the first syllable. Practicing with minimal pairs like pieces/pieces can help anchor the /iː/ realization and stop insertion.
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