Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pay-off

/ˈpeɪ.ɒf/

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: 5.29 in modern English

Syllables: pay-off
IPA: /ˈpeɪ.ɒf/

17

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A payment in full; the state of having been paid in full.

noun

noun

A return on investment.

noun

Informal

noun

A resolution or justification of an event that has already occurred.

Colloquial

noun

Ellipsis of payoff pitch.

Example Sentences

"At the current monthly payment level, it'll take 32 more months to reach pay-off."
"What's the pay-off for putting up with her nonsense for ages on end?"
"How soon could we realistically expect any pay-off from loading up on shares of that company?"
"The prison break never could have succeeded if it hadn't been for multiple pay-offs to various corrupt officers."
"Darlinghurst cops will get you/Clean and bright/Rich and white/See where pay-offs will get you"
"Where's the pay-off for that whole segment of the plot?"

Etymology

Deverbal from pay off.

Usage

Inflected Forms

pay-offs (plural) payoff (alternative)

Phrases

payoff function payoff pitch

Frequently Paired Words

payback paydown

Synonyms

backhander bribe bung payoff coffee money cold drink money dash douceur inducement kopi money pay-off payola

Questions

How do you pronounce pay-off?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈpeɪ.ɒf/.
What does pay-off mean?: A payment in full; the state of having been paid in full.
Where does pay-off come from?: Deverbal from pay off.

How to pronounce pay-off

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pay-off”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈpeɪ.ɒf/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “pay-off”.
Repeat and practice — Say “pay-off” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.