How to pronounce prices in American English

IPA /ˈpraɪsəz/ Syllables 2 · prahy·suhz Stress 1st syllable
PRAHY·suhz
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Americans pronounce prices as PRAHY-suhz (/ˈpraɪsəz/). The unstressed syllable reduces to a lazy schwa — almost a quick "uh" — instead of being pronounced fully. Stress falls on the first syllable — keep everything else short and quick.

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Common mistakes

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch PRAHY — keep everything else short and quick.

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

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Why it sounds different

Why "prices" sounds like PRAHY·suhz.

The "" at the end of "" flows directly into the vowel starting "" — the consonant migrates to the next word with no pause between. This is called the Consonant-to-Vowel Linking, what turns word-by-word reading into actual conversation. It comes out as PRAHY·suhz.

In real conversation

Hear "prices" in the wild.

Click any sentence to see the full breakdown — every link, every reduction, every flap-T.

"Energy prices have been a major concern for economists lately."
EH·ner·jee PRAHY·suhz huhv bihn uh MAY·jer kuhn·SURN fer uh·KAH·nuh·muhsts LAYT·lee
"I always compare prices before putting anything in my cart."
ahy AHL·wayz kuhm·PAIR PRAHY·suhz buh·FOR PUU·duhng EH·nee·thuhng uhn mahy KART
"Rising inflation has affected commodity prices across the global market."
RAHY·zuhng uhn·FLAY·shuhn huhz uh·FEHK·tuhd kuh·MAH·duh·tee PRAHY·suhz uh·KRAHS dhuh GLOH·buhl MAR·kuht
"She compared the unit prices to find the best deal."
shee kuhm·PAIRD dhuh YOO·nuht PRAHY·suhz tuh FAHYND dhuh BEHST DEEL
Watch out

Common pronunciation mistakes in American English.

The textbook way isn't wrong — it's just not how anyone actually says it.

01

Stressing the wrong syllable.

Stress falls on the first syllable, not the others. Stretch PRAHY — keep everything else short and quick.

prahy·SUHZPRAHY·suhz
02

Pronouncing the unstressed syllable too fully.

Don't pronounce the first syllable too fully. The unstressed syllable reduces to a schwa — the lazy "uh" sound — in casual speech.

PRAHY·SUHZPRAHY·suhz
Questions

Questions people ask about this.

How is "prices" stressed in American English?
Stress falls on the first syllable — say "PRAHY" with a longer, fuller vowel and keep every other syllable short and quick. The respell "PRAHY-suhz" marks the stressed syllable in capitals so the rhythm is easy to read at a glance.
Why does the second syllable in "prices" reduce to "uh"?
Unstressed syllables in American English collapse toward a schwa — a lazy, neutral "uh" sound. The full vowel is what textbooks teach, but in actual American speech every unstressed vowel reduces. The respell "PRAHY-suhz" shows the reduced form so you can hear the casual rhythm directly.
Is the American pronunciation of "prices" different from British English?
American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "PRAHY-suhz" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.

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