rice · rise · price · prize · nice · noise
rice/rise and price/prize differ only in a final voiceless /s/ vs voiced /z/ — nice/noise is a related but different contrast.
rice/rise and price/prize are pure voicing pairs — same diphthong /aɪ/, the only change is a voiceless /s/ (rice, price) versus a voiced /z/ (rise, prize). nice/noise is a bit different — the vowel itself changes too (/aɪ/ vs /ɔɪ/), not just the ending.
noun — a staple grain food — 'a bowl of rice' · 'fried rice'
mouth shape
diphthong /aɪ/ — ends in voiceless /s/ — no buzz in your throat at the end
rice
/raɪs/
vowel length
verb — to move upward — 'the sun will rise' · 'prices rise'
mouth shape
same diphthong /aɪ/ as 'rice' — only the ending changes: voiced /z/ — feel the buzz
rise
/raɪz/
vowel length
noun — the amount of money something costs — 'what's the price?' · 'a fair price'
mouth shape
diphthong /aɪ/ — ends in voiceless /s/ — no buzz
price
/praɪs/
vowel length
noun — an award for winning — 'first prize' · 'win a prize'
mouth shape
same diphthong /aɪ/ as 'price' — only the ending changes: voiced /z/ — feel the buzz
prize
/praɪz/
vowel length
adjective — pleasant, kind — 'a nice day' · 'that's very nice of you'
mouth shape
diphthong /aɪ/ — ends in voiceless /s/ — no buzz
nice
/naɪs/
vowel length
noun — an unwanted or loud sound — 'a strange noise' · 'stop making noise'
mouth shape
a different diphthong from 'nice' — /ɔɪ/, like 'boy' — lips round first, then glide — ends in voiced /z/
noise
/nɔɪz/
vowel length
Key difference
Say “rice” then “rise” and feel your throat — no buzz, then buzz. Same for “price”/“prize”. That single voicing switch is the entire difference. noise breaks the pattern: it doesn’t just voice the ending like “nice” would — the vowel itself shifts to /ɔɪ/, the sound in “boy” or “coin”.
Example sentences
rice:“She cooked a pot of rice for dinner.”
rise:“Watch the sun rise over the hills.”
price:“What’s the price of this jacket?”
prize:“She won first prize in the competition.”
nice:“It was nice to meet you.”
noise:“What’s that strange noise coming from the engine?”
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rice
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rise
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price
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prize
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nice
Hear native speakers say “nice” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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noise
Hear native speakers say “noise” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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How teachers explain this
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