How To Pronounce Words Written With OUGH Correctly In English?

Watch the vdeo about OUGH here or the full lesson on the blog
Originally, Anglo-Saxon words were written with the letter 'H' to indicate a 'voiceless velar
fricative' in words like 'Bach'.2 In the 13th century with the invasion of the French and their
influence in the English language...a letter 'G' was added to the letter 'H' to represent this
sound.4 And then, in the 17th century this voiceless velar fricative began to change. In a few
words, the sound completely disappeared (as in the words "through" and "bought") In other
words, the sound 'voiceless velar fricative' was converted into a 'voiceless labiodental fricative'
(between the teeth) that now sounds like the letter 'F' in words like 'cough' and 'enough'.5
Watch the video to practice your pronunciation here >>>

Pronunciation #1: OUGH /o/ (Long O)

Pronunciadas como o som long da letra O em palavras como 'toe, no or go

Dough - I love mixing bread dough

Furlough - The missionaries are home on furlough
Though - I like it even though it smells weird
Thorough - He always does a thorough job
Although - I understand. Although I dont think its a very good excuse

Pronunciation #2: OUGH /u/ (Long U)

Pronounced with the Long U (oo) sound in words like too, threw, or shoe

Through - It was too big to fit through the door

Throughout - He puked several times throughout the day
Throughput - They spend the day trying to measure throughput on the server
Throughway - An accident prevented us from getting on the throughway

Pronunciation #3: OUGH // (AW sound)

Regularly used before the letter /t/ (One exception in the word Drought)

Bought - I bought a new house last year

Brought - She brought me some coffee
Ought - You ought to go with them
Sought - They sought new ways to increase productivity
Thought - He thought she was nuts
Wrought - It wrought a terrible plague

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Pronunciation #4: OUGH /a/ (OW sound)

Pronounced with the 'Ow' sound in words like 'cow, now or how

Bough - The bough fell off during the storm

Plough - He hates to plough his farm
Drought - They suffered a severe drought

Pronunciation #5: OUGH /f/ (Off)

Pronounced with the Off' sound in words like scoff or stroganoff

Cough - She was coughing all afternoon

Trough - The horses drank from the trough

Pronunciation #6: OUGH /f/ (Uff)

Pronounced as uff in words like cuff, stuff or buff

Enough - Thats enough for today

Rough - It was a rough game
Slough - He always sloughs off on the job
Tough - She is one tough boss

Watch the video above to hear the pronunciation of OUGH of each of these six sounds, the
vocabulary words and phrases. Use the video to practice your pronunciation of these sounds in
English.

Bibliography
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ough_(orthography)
2. http://www.howtospell.co.uk/gh-words
3. https://www.quora.com/Pronunciation/How-did-gh-at-the-end-ofsome-words-become-aneff-sound
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ-g8iF3Fdk
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ-g8iF3Fdk

More ESL Info on OUGH

http://rachelsenglish.com/pronounce-ough/

http://www.pronuncian.com/Podcast/Default.aspx?Episode=205

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/intermediate/unit-9/session-1
Get more English Lessons at EXLenglish.com and Youtube.com/c/EXLenglish