The spelling of the phrase "were priced at" can be explained using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). "Were" is pronounced as /wɜːr/, with the "w" being a voiced labio-velar approximant, the "ɜː" being an open-mid central unrounded vowel, and the "r" being a voiced alveolar trill. "Priced" is pronounced as /praɪsd/, with the "p" being an unvoiced bilabial plosive, the "raɪ" being a diphthong consisting of an open-mid front unrounded vowel and a near-close near-front unrounded vowel, and the "s" being an unvoiced alveolar fricative.
The phrase "were priced at" is a construction commonly used to describe the specific cost or value assigned to a particular item or service in the past. It indicates the past tense and passive voice of the verb "to price," which refers to the action of determining the monetary value of something. When something "was priced," it means that the relevant merchants, sellers, or providers have set a specific monetary amount that was considered fair or appropriate for that particular item or service at a given time.
The phrase can be seen as a simple declaration of a past price, often used in retrospective financial or market analyses. It suggests that the specified item or service had a fixed price point in the past, providing an indication of its market value or worth at that specific time. The price assigned to the item might have been determined based on several factors, such as production costs, competition, demand, or market trends.
For example, if a newspaper article stated that "Tickets for the concert were priced at $50," it would mean that the tickets were made available for purchase at a cost of $50 each. This clarifies the specific value associated with the concert tickets during that specific period.
Overall, "were priced at" provides a concise way to communicate the assigned monetary value of something in the past, emphasizing its past cost or market worth.