Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

trade off

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.06 in modern English

Syllables: trade off
IPA

15

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

1

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To choose (something) in exchange for something else, where having both at once is not an available option.

Transitive verb

verb

To choose among options, where having them all at once is not an available option.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

"In the entry-level product category, the engineers had to trade off maximal durability for affordable upfront cost."
"Part of being a competent engineer is knowing how to trade off appropriately among mutually exclusive options, depending on the specified requirements for each design."

Usage

Inflected Forms

trades off (present, singular) trading off (participle, present) traded off (participle, past) traded off (past)

Phrases

trade away trade down trade in trade-off trade up

Frequently Paired Words

trade away trade down trade in trade-off tradeoff trade up

Questions

What does trade off mean?: To choose (something) in exchange for something else, where having both at once is not an available option.

How to pronounce trade off

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “trade off”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “trade off” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.