Meaning & use
pcm
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Meanings
abbreviation
Per calendar month; used after a price to show that the amount is paid each month.
Grammar: Written after a sum of money, often in small letters: £800 pcm.
Patterns
- £800 pcm
- rent of £1,200 pcm
The flat is advertised at £950 pcm.
She pays £600 pcm for her room.
The rent is £1,100 pcm, including bills.
abbreviationtechnical
Pulse-code modulation, a way of changing sound into digital information.
Grammar: Used in technical writing about audio and computing.
Patterns
- PCM audio
- PCM signal
The recording is stored as PCM data.
PCM is used in CDs and digital phone lines.
Common combinations
- £800 pcm
- The studio is available at £800 pcm.
- rent pcm
- The rent is £1,500 pcm.
- PCM audio
- This file contains uncompressed PCM audio.
Synonyms and how they differ
- per month
- The full phrase; more formal and used in any variety of English.
- monthly
- An adjective or adverb meaning 'each month'; not used after a price in the same way.
Commonly confused: pcm or pw?
pcm vs pw
Stands for 'per week' and is used the same way in British property adverts.
Practice
The flat is £750 ___.
Choose one answer.
'pcm' means 'per calendar month' and fits after a price. 'pw' means per week, which would be a different amount. 'pm' usually means 'afternoon' or 'prime minister'. 'per month' is possible but less common in adverts.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pcm”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.