/pɹaɪst/
Say it backPriced is the past tense and past participle of price, meaning to have set a monetary value on something or to be offered at a certain price. In usage, priced often describes objects, services, or offers whose costs are determined or quoted. The word is compact, typically used in business, retail, and accounting contexts, and it sits on a single mora-timed syllable in most dialects.
"The store priced the jackets at $89.99."
"They’ve priced the tickets higher this season."
"She priced the antique lamp carefully before selling it."
Pronounce as one syllable: /praɪst/. The initial sounds are /p/ (lip seal release), then /r/ with a quick tongue blade raise, followed by the diphthong /aɪ/ (like 'eye'), finishing with the cluster /st/ where the /s/ blends into /t/ with a burst of air. Stress is on the single syllable, and the mouth stays relatively closed at the /aɪ/ peak before a quick release into /st/. Audio reference: you can compare with SayItBetter or Cambridge audio; note the final /st/ is a crisp cluster rather than a simple /s/ plus /t/ separated. IPA: /praɪst/.
Common mistakes include pronouncing it as /praɪzd/ (voicing the final /d/) or separating the final consonants so it sounds like /praɪs t/. The correct form is a voiceless /st/ cluster without a vocalic vowel between /s/ and /t/, i.e., /praɪst/. Another slip is lengthening the /i/ or changing the diphthong to /eɪ/. Focus on finishing with a crisp /st/ after /aɪ/. Practice by saying ‘price’ and immediately adding a crisp /t/ without voicing.
In US, UK, and AU accents, the core /praɪst/ remains, but rhoticity affects surrounding features: US is rhotic but not affecting /praɪst/ itself; UK and AU often have non-rhotic tendencies in some contexts, though /praɪst/ remains stable. The main differences are tunnel of vowel quality around surrounding words rather than the nucleus; the /aɪ/ diphthong can be slightly more centralized in some UK varieties, but the ending /st/ is consistently a voiceless cluster. In fast connected speech, you may hear a slight alveolar assimilation before /t/ in rapid speech, yet /praɪst/ stays recognizable. IPA reference: US /praɪst/, UK /praɪst/, AU /praɪst/.
The difficulty comes from the final /st/ cluster after a high-front diphthong /aɪ/. The tongue closes quickly, so you have to avoid inserting a voiced stop and keep air released crisply. Learners often voice the /t/ or insert a vowel between /s/ and /t/. Master this by practicing rapid sequences of /aɪ/ to /st/ using minimal pairs like price/priest (without adding a vowel) to feel the exact frictionless transition.
A distinctive feature is the rapid shift from a high front glide to a voiceless alveolar cluster; the /aɪ/ is a working diphthong that must not become a monophthong or a lax vowel. You’ll hear a tight, quick release at the end, with the /s/ blending into /t/. Emphasize the abrupt, clean stop after the /aɪ/ for native-like clarity in fast speech.
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Priced derives from price, which comes from the Old French prix, from Latin pretium meaning ‘value, price, reward’. The transition from noun price to verb price occurred in Middle English, aligning with other verbs formed from nouns that describe an action related to the noun (to price something, to price in a calculation). The -ed suffix marks past tense/past participle in English. The sense of establishing a monetary value dates to the emergence of standardized markets in the medieval period, with merchants and guilds documenting costs for goods. Over time, priced broadened to include quotes and appraisals, not only fixed retail prices but also bids, valuations, and financial arrangements, preserving the core idea of assigning an amount that represents value or cost. In modern usage, priced is almost exclusively encountered as a past-tense verb or participial adjective, frequently in business, retail, and negotiation contexts, and is often found in phrases such as “priced at,” “priced competitively,” or “priced higher/lower than….” The word’s semantic trajectory mirrors the evolution of commerce—from barter to standardized pricing—retaining its crisp, transactional sense across varieties of English.
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Words that rhyme with "priced"
-zed sounds
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