Different pronunciations of ‘OUGH’

English pronunciation can be difficult and one of the most confusing combinations of letters is ‘ough’. There are a lot of different ways to pronounce ‘ough’ so to make your life easier here’s our simple guide to the 7 most common ways to pronounce these troublesome letters:

1. Though – “o” as in “go” – some examples are dough, although
2. Through – “oo” as in “too”
3. Cough – “off” as in “offer” – some examples are trough
4. Rough – “uff” as in “suffer” – some examples are tough, enough
5. Plough – “ow” as in “flower” – some examples are drought
6. Ought – “aw” as in “saw” – some examples are bought, brought, thought, fought, sought
7. Borough – “a” as in “above” – some examples are thorough

We recommend learning each word as you come across it and you will get there!