At basic level, students often have just two words for price: cheap and expensive. But these words carry feelings as well as facts. Cheap can mean low price (a good thing for the buyer) but it can also mean low quality (a bad thing). Affordable means a price that someone can pay — a positive way to describe a reasonable price. Reasonable describes a price that fits what the thing is worth. Expensive is the standard word for a high price, but pricey is a more casual version, and exorbitant means a price that is so high it seems unfair. Students who use only cheap and expensive miss most of the range and sometimes accidentally insult products or shops by calling them cheap when they mean low-priced. This lesson covers the most useful price words at A2 level and shows how to teach the small differences in feeling between them.
Before you start — think honestly about your own teaching and experience.
Look at the examples. Answer each question before reading the explanation — this is how your students will learn too.
VERY LOW: cheap (sometimes negative — low price OR low quality)
LOW: affordable (positive — a price you can pay)
FAIR: reasonable (matches the value of the thing)
HIGH: expensive (standard word for high price)
VERY HIGH: pricey (casual — quite expensive)
UNFAIRLY HIGH: exorbitant (so high it seems wrong)
Look at the scale. Why is cheap not always positive? Why does affordable sound better even though both describe low prices?
Cheap has two meanings. The first is simply low-priced — a fact about the price. The second is low-quality — a judgement about the thing. When someone says That dress is cheap, the listener does not know which meaning is intended. The dress could be a bargain at a low price (positive) or a poor-quality dress (negative). Because of this confusion, English speakers often choose other words when they want to describe a low price positively. Affordable means the price is low enough that someone can pay it — clearly positive. A bargain means a good deal. Reasonable means the price matches the value. Cheap is still useful, but students need to know that it can sound negative and to choose other words when they want to be positive about a low price.
Which word fits each context: affordable / cheap / pricey / exorbitant?
Context A (low price, good quality): cheap fits — but careful, it could sound slightly negative. Affordable would also work and would sound more clearly positive. Either is a reasonable choice if the speaker wants to recommend the market. Context B (price most parents can pay): affordable is the right word — it focuses on the buyer's ability to pay. Cheap would sound dismissive of the uniforms. Reasonable would also work. Context C (luxury watch, high price): pricey fits a casual description. Expensive would also work. Exorbitant would suggest the price is unfair, which depends on the speaker's view. Context D (medical treatment with very high costs that ordinary people cannot pay): exorbitant fits — the price is so high that most cannot afford it, suggesting it may be unfair. The context phrase most people cannot pay these prices points clearly to exorbitant.
It is good value. (= the price matches what you get — positive)
It is a bargain. (= a great low price for something good)
It is overpriced. (= the price is higher than it should be)
It costs a fortune. (= it is very expensive, informal)
It is worth every penny. (= it is expensive but worth it — strongly positive)
It is not worth the money. (= it is expensive but not worth it — strongly negative)
These phrases give students a way to talk about value, not just price. Why are they useful?
Price alone tells you only one number — how much something costs. Value tells you whether the price is fair for what you get. A cheap shirt might be poor value (low price but breaks quickly). An expensive watch might be good value (high price but lasts a lifetime). Native speakers move between price words (cheap, expensive) and value phrases (good value, overpriced) all the time. Students who only learn price words miss the bigger picture. Teaching the value phrases alongside the price scale gives students a complete vocabulary for talking about money decisions. It is good value and It is overpriced are particularly useful — they appear in everyday speech constantly and let students make a judgement, not just state a fact.
| Word | Approximate price | Feeling | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| cheap | Low price | Mixed — can be positive (good price) or negative (low quality) | For low prices in casual speech. Be careful — it can insult the thing being described. |
| affordable | Low to fair price | Positive — within reach of the buyer | For prices ordinary people can pay. Common in shops and adverts. |
| reasonable | Fair price | Positive — matches the value | For prices that fit what the thing is worth. |
| a bargain | Low price for good quality | Strongly positive | For something cheap but also good. Common in markets and shopping. |
| expensive | High price | Neutral — just a fact | The standard word for a high price. Safe in most contexts. |
| pricey | High price | Mildly negative — quite expensive | Casual everyday word. More informal than expensive. |
| overpriced | Higher price than the value | Negative — the price is too high for what you get | For something not worth its price. |
| exorbitant | Very high price | Strongly negative — unfair high price | Formal. For prices so high they seem wrong. |
DISTINCTION 1 — Cheap has two meanings: Cheap can mean low price (positive — a good deal) or low quality (negative — poor value). When a speaker says That shop is cheap, the listener does not always know which is meant. To be clear, use affordable for low price (positive) and poor quality or low quality when describing actual quality.
DISTINCTION 2 — Affordable vs reasonable: Both are positive words for fair prices. Affordable focuses on the buyer — it means within their ability to pay. Reasonable focuses on the value — it means the price fits what the thing is worth. An affordable car is one most people can buy. A reasonable price is one that fits what you are getting.
DISTINCTION 3 — Expensive vs pricey vs exorbitant: All three describe high prices but differ in strength and register. Expensive is neutral and works in any context. Pricey is informal and slightly negative — it suggests the speaker thinks the price is high. Exorbitant is formal and strongly negative — it suggests the price is unfair, perhaps even unethical. Choose by context.
DISTINCTION 4 — Price words vs value phrases: Some expressions are not about price alone but about whether the price matches the value. Good value, a bargain, overpriced, worth every penny, not worth the money. Students need both kinds — price words for stating facts, value phrases for making judgements.
Price vocabulary is essential for everyday conversation about shopping, decisions, and money — topics that come up constantly at A2 and B1 levels. Students who use only cheap and expensive miss the small but important differences that change how their statements sound. Calling a friend's new dress cheap when meaning it was a great low price can accidentally insult them. Using affordable instead is positive and clear. Cultural context also matters: in some places it is rude to comment on prices at all; in others, talking about value is normal social behaviour. Teachers should be aware that price talk can be sensitive, and should focus on neutral practice contexts (markets, school uniforms, public transport) rather than personal items.
Bring real or imagined prices into the lesson. Show three items — a school exercise book, a mobile phone, a pair of shoes — at three different prices. Ask students to describe each price using a word from the lesson. Discuss disagreements: is the phone affordable or expensive? It depends on the buyer. The discussion forces students to use the words in context and shows that the right word depends on the situation.
Choose the best price word for each situation. Think about whether the price is low, fair, or high — and what feeling fits.
Each sentence uses a price word that does not fit the situation. Suggest a better word and explain.
Use this sequence directly in class — guided discovery, no textbook needed. Tap each step to mark it done.
STEP 1 — The price scale (5 min): Draw a horizontal line on the board. Mark LOW PRICE on the left, HIGH PRICE on the right. Place the words: cheap, affordable, reasonable on the left and middle. Expensive, pricey, exorbitant on the right. Discuss the scale. Each word covers a different range of price.
STEP 2 — The cheap problem (5 min): Focus on the double meaning of cheap. Write two sentences: That market is cheap (low prices = good for shoppers) and That dress is cheap (low quality = bad). Discuss how the same word can be positive or negative depending on what is being described. Teach affordable as the safer positive word for low prices.
STEP 3 — Real situations (6 min): Give six everyday situations: school uniform price, medicine in a private hospital, food at a small market, a luxury watch, a half-price sale on shoes, the cost of a wedding. Students choose the best word for each. Discuss as a class.
STEP 4 — Value phrases (5 min): Introduce the value phrases: good value, a bargain, overpriced, worth every penny. Drill each with an example. Show how they differ from price words — they make a judgement about whether the price matches what you get.
STEP 5 — Talk about your shopping (4 min): Each student describes one recent purchase or one regular purchase using two different price words from the lesson. The class checks: did the words fit? Was a value phrase needed? This forces real-life application.
Use directly in class — copy, adapt, or read aloud. No printing needed.
For each strategy, choose the option that best describes where you are now.
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