# Pence

/ˈpɛns/ (US) · /pˈɛns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pence
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. currency amount

noun · CEFR A2 · British English

The plural of 'penny', used to talk about a total amount of money in British pounds.

For teachers: The plural form of 'penny' used collectively to denote a specific value or price in British currency.

- A local phone call used to cost only ten pence many years ago.
- The price of the newspaper has risen by twenty pence over the last year, reflecting increased production costs.

Usage: Usually follows a number to state a price; often abbreviated to 'p' in speech and writing.

## Examples

- The newspaper costs ninety-five pence.
- After the tax increase, the price of a litre of fuel rose by several pence overnight.
- In the United Kingdom, the decimal pound is divided into one hundred pence, a system that replaced the complex shillings and pence of the pre-decimal era in 1971.

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