Is it Prize or Prise ?

Prize vs. Price vs. Prise vs. Pries
Prize and Prise confuse many of us. In this post we learn about the meaning their meaning and difference.

Prise, prize, price, pries. prise vs prize, prize vs pries. Prize vs price. prise vs price

Quick Look

What is the difference between Prise and Prize?

Prise means to use force to extract or separate something from something else.

Pickpocket prises your purse from you.

In American English Prise is spelled Prize.

Prize, as a noun, means something that is very valuable, and can be won in a contest or given as an award.
Prize, as a verb, means to value someone or something very highly.

Everyone should prize his or her parents.

Prize can also be use as an adjective, like prize money.

What is the meaning of Prise ?

Prise is a verb. It means to take, seize something by force or superior power.

According to Collins:

If you prize something open or prize it away from a surface, you force it to open it to open or force it to come away from the surface

When used figuratively:

If you prize something such as information out of someone, you persuade them to tell you although they may be unwilling to.

The spelling prise is used in British English. It is more common spelling. In American English, however, spelling prize is more preferred.

They prized the door open with a special tool.
The spy tried to prize the information out of me. (The spy tried to force me to give him the information)

What is the meaning of Prize?

Prize can be used as a verb, noun, and an adjective.

As a noun, Prize means something that is won in a contest or given as an award.

Malala Yousafzai was awarded the Nobel Peace prize.
My son won first prize in the dance competition.

As a verb, Prize means to value or regard something highly. If you prize something, you respect them.

I prize your writing style. (= I respect you writing)

As an adjective, Prize means something that deserves an award, like his prize painting, it means the painting is very good, impressive, and an award should be given to the painter.

In American English, the spelling Prize is preferred to Prise.

Don't confuse with the same looking words: Price and Pries.

Price means the amount of money that you pay for something.
Pries is the third person singular of the word "Pry". American tend to use pry instead of prise.

In a nutshell
As a verb "to force open" can be spelled either prise or prize. Prise is British English, and it is more common than the spelling prize of American English.

Test on real-world sentence examples

The person who made the closest guess without going past the time this year gets a $1,244 cash ....... Washington Times Mar 24, 2020.
[1] prise
[2] prize

“In times like this, we must work together,” Collins, who faces a competitive November reelection in a state that ...... independence, tells the camera. Washington Times Mar 24, 2020
[1] prises
[2] prizes

What becomes of the ...... money in the canceled events is unclear; Korn Ferry Tour officials declined comment for this story. Golf Digest Mar 22, 2020
[1] prise
[2] prize

If I don’t, there’s a good chance she’ll wrestle me to the floor, ...... open my mouth, and pour it into me. Winter girls
[1] prise
[2] prize

Three members of staff on the unit recalled Wawrzynczak swearing at the man, smacking his legs and trying to forcibly ...... them apart to wash him. BBC Jan 26, 2020
[1] prise
[2] prize

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