Verb & Noun A1 — Beginner

Pay

/peɪ/

Quick Definition

Verb: To give money in exchange for goods or services, or to give wages. "I paid £20 for the book."

Noun: The money someone receives for doing work; wages or salary. "The pay is good but the hours are long."

Meaning and Usage

Pay is one of the most common A1 words in English. As a verb it describes any financial transaction — buying things, paying bills, or receiving wages. As a noun it refers to your salary or wages. The idiom pay attention (= concentrate) is also extremely common.

Important: pay is an irregular verb. The past tense is paid, not "payed". "I paid the bill." "She has paid already." This is a frequent spelling error for learners.

Key patterns: pay for something ("I'll pay for dinner"), pay someone ("They pay me monthly"), pay something ("Did you pay the rent?").

Pay in Use

ContextExample sentencePattern
ShoppingI'd like to pay by card, please.pay + by + method
Work/salaryThe new job offers better pay and flexible hours.pay as noun
IdiomPlease pay attention to the instructions.pay attention

Common Mistakes

Mistakes to Avoid

I payed for the tickets online.

I paid for the tickets online. ('paid' is the correct irregular past tense, not 'payed')

She pays attention at the teacher.

She pays attention to the teacher. (always 'pay attention to', not 'at')

Can you pay me back the money you owe?

Can you pay back the money you owe me? (word order: pay back + the money, not 'pay me back the money')

Related Words

money cost buy earn salary All Words →

Practise This Word

Flash Cards Wordsearch Quiz

Frequently Asked Questions about "Pay"

What does pay mean in English?
Pay as a verb means to give money in exchange for goods, services, or work: "I paid £10 for the book." / "The company pays its staff monthly." As a noun, pay refers to wages or salary: "Her pay increased this year." The idiom "pay attention" means to concentrate.
Is pay a verb or a noun?
Pay is both a verb and a noun. As a verb: "Did you pay the bill?" As a noun: "The pay in this job is excellent." Both forms are common. Note that "pay" as a noun is often used in compound words: paycheck, payday, payslip.
What is the CEFR level of pay?
Pay is an A1 (Beginner) word — one of the most fundamental words in English for everyday transactions, work, and money. It is essential for learners from the very first level.
How do you pronounce pay?
Pay is pronounced /peɪ/. It rhymes with "say", "day", and "way". The vowel is the diphthong /eɪ/. The past tense is "paid" /peɪd/, not "payed" (which is only used in nautical contexts).
What is the past tense of pay?
The past tense of pay is "paid" — an irregular form. "I paid the bill yesterday." "She has paid for everything." A common learner error is writing "payed" — this is incorrect in everyday English. "Payed out" exists only as a nautical term meaning to let out rope.
What are common collocations with pay?
Common collocations: pay the bill, pay attention, pay a visit, pay back, pay off, pay rise, pay cut, low pay, high pay, take-home pay, pay in cash/card. Examples: "Can you pay attention, please?" / "I paid off my loan last month." / "She got a pay rise."
What is the difference between pay and salary?
Pay is a general term for the money you receive for working. Salary specifically refers to a fixed regular amount paid monthly or annually, typically for professional jobs. Wages usually refers to hourly or weekly pay. All three are types of "pay".
What are synonyms for pay?
Synonyms for pay (verb): spend, give, hand over, settle, remunerate (formal), compensate, reward. Synonyms for pay (noun): wages, salary, earnings, income, remuneration, compensation. "Remunerate" and "remuneration" are formal business English terms.
What common mistakes do learners make with pay?
Common mistakes: writing "payed" instead of "paid" for the past tense; saying "pay attention at" instead of "pay attention to"; and confusion with "pay for something" vs "pay something" — both are possible but context-dependent ("pay for the coffee" / "pay the bill").
How can I practise the word pay?
Use LexFizz's Flash Cards to practise "pay" in different contexts including shopping, work, and attention. Practise the irregular past tense "paid". Write sentences using "pay for", "pay back", "pay off", and "pay attention to" to learn the key phrasal verbs and collocations.