Pence Is Plural for Amounts, Pennies for Coins
Pence is the plural of penny. British English keeps two plurals, and which one you use depends on what you mean.
Pence is the plural of *penny* used for sums of money. British English keeps two plurals with a working distinction: *pence* for an amount, *pennies* for individual coins. Fifty pence is a price; fifty pennies is a handful of coins. Saying fifty pennies for a price sounds childish, and asking for two pence of coins sounds wrong the other way. Before decimalisation in 1971, a pound held 240 pence, twelve to the shilling.
- A sum in pennies. *Fifty pence.*
- Pennies — individual coins. *A jar of pennies.*
- Penny — the singular. *One penny.*
- p — the modern abbreviation. *50p.*
- Decimalisation — the 1971 change. *Decimalisation.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | penny | One penny. |
| Plural (sum) | pence | Twenty pence. |
| Plural (coins) | pennies | Loose pennies. |
| Abbreviation | p | 20p. |
| Old English | penig | A penny. |
- It costs eighty pence.Amount.
- A jar full of pennies.Coins.
- Before 1971 a pound held 240 pence.History.
Money before decimalisation
- 12 pence made one shilling
- 20 shillings made one pound, so 240 pence to the pound
- A guinea was 21 shillings, used for professional fees
- Written as £sd — pounds, shillings and pence, from Latin
- Decimal Day was 15 February 1971
A contracted plural of *penny*, Old English *penig*, from a Germanic root of uncertain earlier origin.
Is it pence or pennies?
Pence for a sum of money, pennies for individual coins. Fifty pence is a price; fifty pennies is a pile of coins.
Why is old British money written £sd?
From Latin librae, solidi and denarii, the Roman units the pound, shilling and penny descended from.