One syllable: cost.
/ˈkɔst/
Say it backCost refers to the monetary price required to obtain something or the loss or disadvantage incurred by a party. It can denote the quantity of money charged, the overall burden of purchasing, or the figurative toll of an action or decision. In economics and everyday use, cost is a central concept that informs budgeting, pricing, and value judgments.
"The cost of the new laptop was higher than she expected."
"They considered the long-term costs before renovating the house."
"The social cost of pollution includes health impacts and environmental damage."
/kɔst/ in US and UK English, with a single syllable and a short, rounded vowel in the nucleus. Start with a /k/ plosive, then an open-mid back vowel, and finish with /st/. In American usage you’ll often hear /kɑst/ in some dialects or rapid speech, but the standard is /kɔst/. Mouth position: back of the tongue slightly raised for /ɔ/, lips neutral to lightly rounded, and a clear /t/ + silent or released /s/ depending on pace. For most listeners, it should sound like “kawst.”
Two frequent errors: (1) Substituting /kæ/ or /kɒ/ before /st/, which makes it sound like ‘cast’ or ‘caste.’ (2) Slurring the /st/ into a quick /st/ cluster or letting the /t/ be a soft, almost silent stop. Correction: hold a crisp /ɔ/ vowel, ensure the /k/ is a strong stop, then release fully into /st/ with a clean alveolar /t/ before the /s/. Practice with minimal pairs like cost–cast to train the vowel and final cluster timing.
In US English, /kɔst/ with a rounded back vowel and rhotic-free /r/ is typical. UK English tends to /kɒst/ with a more open, shorter /ɒ/ vowel and non-rhoticity; Australia often aligns with US in rhoticity but may feature a slightly broader /ɒ/ or /ɔ/ depending on region. Overall, the core is a single monosyllable with a firm /k/ onset, a stressed vowel between /ɔ/ and /ɒ/, and a crisp /st/ coda. Paying attention to vowel quality and the exact /t/ release differentiates the accents.
The challenge lies in sealing the vowel quality and timing the final /st/ cluster. The /ɔ/ or /ɒ/ vowel is short and centralized, and many learners default to a lax vowel or a long /oʊ/ sound. The /st/ requires precise articulation: the tongue contacts the alveolar ridge for /t/ and immediately transitions to /s/ without coarticulation bleed. Maintaining a clean voiceless alveolar fricative /s/ after the /t/ in rapid speech is tricky for non-native speakers.
Cost has a simple single-syllable profile but involves a sharp /k/ onset, a short back vowel, and a tight /st/ cluster. The most unique element is ensuring the vowel quality remains consistent across dialects (US /ɔ/, UK /ɒ/, AU may vary) while keeping the final cluster crisp. Practicing with rapid rhythm and minimal pairs helps lock the exact mouth configuration for reliable intelligibility.
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The word cost comes from the Middle English costen or costen, meaning 'to purchase, at a price.’ It derives from the Old French cuistre? (note: historical note) and earlier from Latin constare meaning 'to stand firm, be fixed’? (unclear). In Middle English, cost was used both as a noun for price and as a verb meaning to buy or to impose a price on. By the Early Modern English period, cost had become a common noun for the monetary charge and a verb meaning to require payment. The semantic shift also included figurative uses such as “at what cost” to denote non-monetary sacrifices. First known written uses appear in legal and mercantile records from the 14th century, with evolving spellings like coste or cost, eventually standardizing to cost in modern English. Over centuries, cost broadened to include abstract forms like opportunity costs and costs in statistical calculations.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "cost" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "cost"
-ost sounds
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