What does pence mean?
Pence is the plural of penny and is the standard way to refer collectively to British coins or to coin denominations. British readers therefore say “five pence,” “ten pence,” or “twenty pence,” rather than using the ordinary plural “pennies” in those expressions. The word is especially associated with the British currency system, including the modern coins valued at 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 pence. In American English, pence is less common but remains readily understood, particularly when discussing British money. Its irregular appearance is not a misspelling: penny and pence have different grammatical functions, just as foot and feet do. Although pennies is the regular plural of penny, the established currency terms use pence when naming denominations or an unspecified amount of money.
noun (plural)The plural form of penny, referring to British coins or denominations of one penny, especially coins such as 5 pence, 10 pence, and 50 pence.
- The plural of penny, used as a general term for British coins or money.
- A denomination of a British coin, especially in expressions such as five pence or fifty pence.
"The machine accepts coins of one penny, two pence, five pence, ten pence, or fifty pence."
"She put a few pence into the slot machine."
"The bus fare increased by ten pence."
Pence is already plural and is the standard plural of penny in British currency expressions. The irregular form contrasts with the regular plural “pennies,” which is used when referring to individual one-penny coins or in other senses of penny.
"There were twenty pence in her purse."
In British currency, one coin is a penny, but several coins are pence: one penny, two pence, fifty pence.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pence come from?
Pence developed as the Middle English plural of penny, with the final consonant appearing through the historical development of English plurals. Penny itself descends from Old English pening, an old coin name. The modern British currency system inherited “pence” from this older usage, and the two related spellings now serve distinct singular and plural roles.
Related word forms
How pence is actually used
In standard British usage, pence is plural, while penny is the singular. It is normal to say “two pence,” although “two pennies” can refer specifically to two one-penny coins. The older form “twopence” is also still encountered.
Easily confused with pence
Penny is the singular form and also names a single coin, whereas pence is the plural used with British coin denominations.