Pence is a plural noun referring to units of currency used in Great Britain and some countries of the Commonwealth, equal to one hundredth of a pound. It can also denote plural coins of small denominations or, in a broader sense, monetary value within financial contexts. The term is commonly encountered in price tags, budgets, and discussions of currency or economics.
"The price is 50 pence."
"He saved several pence by shopping around."
"The new policy aims to cut government waste by a few pence."
"She found a few extra pence under the sofa cushion."
Pence originates from the Old English word penet, related to peon or penny in medieval English. The term reflects the subdivision of currency, tracing back to early coinage systems where the penny was the basic unit of account in English-speaking regions. Over time, the plural form pence emerged to indicate multiple coins or amounts of money in pence, distinguishing it from the larger unit, the pound. The word shares etymological roots with related Germanic languages, where the cognate term for coin or penny carried a similar sense of small denomination currency. First attested in Middle English texts as “Pence” in the sense of coins, its usage evolved alongside the decimalization of the pound in the 20th century, reinforcing its function as a unit of monetary value rather than a standalone coin in everyday speech.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Pence" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "Pence" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "Pence"
-nse sounds
-nce sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce it as /pɛns/. Start with a short, lax p sound, then the mid-front vowel /ɛ/ as in 'dress', followed by the nasal /n/ and the final /s/. The stress is on the single syllable, so keep it brief and crisp (no extra vowels). Audio reference: similar to 'pence' in British/US English; practice with minimal pair 'pence' vs 'pens' to ensure /pɛns/.
Common errors: substituting /eɪ/ for /ɛ/ (saying ‘payns’), adding an extra syllable (pent-se), or voicing the final consonant as /z/ (penz). Correction tips: keep the vowel short and lax as /ɛ/; cut the word to one syllable with a crisp final /s/. Practice with minimal pair drills like 'pence' vs 'pense' (not a separate English word but helps anchor the /s/ ending). Mouth should be relaxed, lips neutral, tongue behind bottom teeth for the /n/.
In US, UK, and AU, the pronunciation is essentially /pɛns/. The main variation lies in vowel quality and the presence of a rhotic r in surrounding sounds; the core nucleus remains a short /ɛ/. US speakers may have a slightly retracted tongue position, UK speakers maintain a clear short /e/ edge, and AU speakers align similarly to UK but with subtle vowel height differences in rapid speech. Overall, the word remains monosyllabic with a clean /s/ final.
The difficulty lies in producing a precise short /ɛ/ vowel in a closed syllable and ending with /ns/ without adding a vowel or voicing the final /s/. Learners often drift toward /eɪ/ or omit the final /s/. The tip is to keep the mouth relaxed, tongue low-mid for /ɛ/, and end with a crisp /n/ followed by /s/. Short, controlled breath supports the single-syllable production.
A key unique aspect is the rapid, compact single-syllable delivery with a precise /p/ burst followed by a relaxed /ɛ/ and a clean /ns/ cluster. Unlike longer words, there is no vowel extension; the entire word should be completed in one beat. Visual cues: lips slightly rounded for /p/ release, tongue tip behind upper teeth for /n/, and alveolar /s/ with no voicing.
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