Expiry is a noun meaning the end of validity or duration of something, such as a document, offer, or medication, marking when it becomes invalid. It denotes a specific point at which authority or effectiveness ceases, often tied to a set date or condition. The term is common in legal, commercial, and medical contexts and is used to describe deadlines or expiration dates.
"The expiry date on the milk carton shows when it should be discarded."
"Check the expiry of your passport before booking international travel."
"The offer is valid until its expiry date, after which the terms change."
"Expired medication should be disposed of according to local regulations."
Expiry traces to Old French expirier, from Latin expiri meaning 'to breathe out, die, end'. The word evolved from the idea of 'breathing out' as the moment something ceases to be valid or alive—metaphorically its 'breath' has ended. In English, the noun form expanded through usage in legal, commercial, and pharmacy vocabularies to denote the end date of a document, license, or product shelf life. The earliest attestations appear in Middle English pharmacopoeias and legal documents where expiry dates governed inventories and guarantees. Over centuries, expiry became a fixed term in commerce and bureaucracy, commonly paired with dates (expiry date) to signal the precise cut-off. In modern usage, expiry is often interchangeable with expiration in American English, though expiry is more prevalent in British English and in formal or official contexts, while expiration is the more common term in US everyday language. The semantic shift underscores the moment when a clause, contract, or product ceases to confer validity or safety. The word now frequently appears in consumer packaging, health, finance, and regulatory communications, maintaining its core sense of termination tied to a specific date or event.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Expiry" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Expiry"
-ply sounds
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Expiry is pronounced /ɪkˈspaɪəri/ for US, UK, and AU variants. The primary stress is on the second syllable: ex-PY-ri. Start with a short 'ik' as in 'ick', then an /sp/ blend, followed by /aɪ/ (as in 'fly'), then a schwa or reduced /ə/ before final /ri/ ('ree' with a light 'r' and a softer 'i'). In careful speech, you articulate /ɪk/ + /ˈspaɪə/ + /ri/. Audio examples: refer to Pronounce or major dictionaries to hear /ɪkˈspaɪəri/.
Common mistakes include stressing the wrong syllable (placing stress on 'ex' as in ex-), mispronouncing the /sp/ cluster, or misplacing /ɪk/ and /aɪ/ sequences. To correct: keep the primary stress on the second syllable (/ˈspaɪ/), ensure the /sp/ is a clean blend without breaking into separate /s/ and /p/, and smoothly transition from /ɪk/ to /ˈspaɪə/ with a brief /ə/ before /ri/.
In all three accents, the primary stress remains on the second syllable. US and UK are rhotic to varying degrees; US tends to be rhotic with a clear /r/ and a stronger /ɪkˈspaɪəri/, while UK often has a more non-rhotic /ɪkˈspaɪəri/ with a softer /r/. Australian English shares rhotic tendencies but may reduce the final syllable slightly and flatten the /ɪ/ to a closer schwa. Overall vowel quality differences: US: /ɪkˈspaɪəri/, UK: /ɪkˈspaɪəri/ with subtle vowel coloring, AU: similar to UK but with Australian vowel shifts.
The challenge lies in the /ˈspaɪə/ sequence: a diphthong with a mid centering glide that can blur in rapid speech. The /ɪk/ onset can blend into /sp/, requiring precise timing to avoid /ɪksp/ sounding like /ɪksp/. Also, the trailing /ri/ can become a reduced /ri/ or /ɹi/ depending on accent; keeping the /r/ controlled and the 'i' as a clear long vowel helps clarity.
This word hinges on a clean /ɪk/ onset, a tight /sp/ cluster, the /aɪ/ as a strong nucleus, followed by a light /ə/ or schwa before the final /ri/. The nuance is in how firmly you release the /r/ in non-rhotic accents and whether you maintain the /ɪ/ vs. /iː/ quality in the second syllable. Practice with minimal pairs to stabilize the /aɪə/ sequence and ensure the final /ri/ is crisp.
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