/pɹaɪs/
Say it backPrice refers to the amount of money demanded or given in exchange for a good or service. It also functions as a verb meaning to determine or ask for a price. In general use, it conveys value, cost, and economic worth within transactions, markets, and budgeting contexts.
"The price of this jacket has dropped after the sales event."
"We compared prices across several stores before buying."
"She hesitated at the price, but the quality was worth it."
Pronounce /praɪs/. Start with a voiceless plosive /p/, then the diphthong /aɪ/ as in 'eye', followed by the final /s/. Keep the tongue high for the /ɹ/ onset and ensure the /aɪ/ glide is smooth, ending in a crisp /s/. In careful speech, you’ll hear a clean, quick release with no vowel lengthening.
Common errors include over-voicing the initial /p/ making it sound like 'bri(s)' and inserting an extra vowel between /p/ and /raɪs/ (e.g., ‘pra-ee-s’). Also, some learners mispronounce the /ai/ as a pure /i/ or confuse /s/ with /z/ due to voicing. Correct by practicing a tight /p/ release, then a clean /aɪ/ glide into /s/ without an intervening vowel, keeping the tongue fronted and the lips neutral.
In US/UK/AU, the core /praɪs/ remains but rhoticity influences surrounding vowels in connected speech. The /r/ is not pronounced in UK and AU accents before a consonant, affecting adjacent vowels subtly; US tends to carry a more rounded /ɹ/ with stronger linking to subsequent sounds. Vowel quality of /aɪ/ remains central across regions, with tiny shifts in rapid speech. Overall pronunciation remains /praɪs/ in all three, but rhythm and consonant clarity differ.
Two main challenges: the diphthong /aɪ/ requires a precise, quick glide from low-front to high-front vowel without inserting a schwa; and the final /s/ must stay voiceless and crisp, avoiding voicing that can edge toward /z/. Also, blending /p/ and /r/ can be tricky for non-native speakers when the /r/ is lightly pronounced or skipped in non-rhotic accents. Mastery comes from controlled mouth positions and precise timing between stop release, glide, and fricative.
Price is a monosyllable with a single stressed syllable containing the sequence /pɹaɪs/. There is no silent letter; the spelling mirrors the sound, with the /p/ onset, /aɪ/ diphthong, and /s/ final fricative. The challenge is blending the stop, glide, and fricative quickly and cleanly, not a silent-letter issue. Focus on the tight /p/ release and a steady /aɪ/ before the /s/.
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Price derives from the Old French prix, from Latin pretium, from prae- (in front) and pretium (price) or pay. Middle English borrowed it as prise and price throughout the 14th–15th centuries, originally denoting a value placed on goods or services by traders. The semantic journey moved from a concrete monetary value to broader notions of cost and worth in economic exchange. The word’s spelling aligned with French influence while pronunciation shifted in English over time, culminating in the modern /praɪs/. First known use in English appears in medieval merchant texts, where price often signified a stated amount for sale or negotiation. Over centuries, the concept broadened to include figurative uses like “the price of freedom” or “the price to pay,” reflecting social and moral valuations attached to economic decisions.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "price" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "price"
-ice sounds
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