Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pound sterling

/paʊnd ˈstɜː(ɹ).lɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.91 in modern English

Syllables
pound ster-ling
IPA
/paʊnd ˈstɜː(ɹ).lɪŋ/
17
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
2
Syllables
12
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The currency of the United Kingdom.

Example Sentences

Etymology

The basic unit of currency in medieval England was the silver penny or sterling, weighing ¹⁄₂₄₀ of a tower pound. 240 of these coins made a "pound of sterlings". This term (shortened to "pound sterling" in later usage) continued to be used for a sum of 240 pence even after the sterling had ceased to circulate. The modern pound sterling is equivalent to 100 new pence.

Regional Pronunciation

  • British English: /paʊnd ˈstɜː(ɹ).lɪŋ/

Inflected Forms

pounds sterling (plural) GBP (alternative) £ (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

mul:£ mul:GBP

Synonyms

pound[Appendix:Glossary quid nicker sov british pound pound british pound sterling

Questions

How do you pronounce pound sterling?
The recorded pronunciation is /paʊnd ˈstɜː(ɹ).lɪŋ/.
What does pound sterling mean?
The currency of the United Kingdom.
Where does pound sterling come from?
The basic unit of currency in medieval England was the silver penny or sterling, weighing ¹⁄₂₄₀ of a tower pound. 240 of these coins made a "pound of sterlings". This term (shortened to "pound sterling" in later usage) continued to be used for a sum of 240 pence even after the sterling had ceased to circulate. The modern pound sterling is equivalent to 100 new pence.

How to pronounce pound sterling

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pound sterling”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/paʊnd ˈstɜː(ɹ).lɪŋ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “pound sterling”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “pound sterling” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.