The “ough” spelling and pronunciation is a HUGE HEADACHE, but there aren’t that many words.
I’ve only included the American pronunciation. Thankfully, American English has merged two of the pronunciations (ɒ and ɔː), so simpler!
There are actually NINE different pronunciations of “ough”, but some of them are only in English dialects (looking at you, Scots) and some are very rare. No need to confuse things with details. I’ve included the most common four here.
“OUGH” RULES, kind of.
If an “ough” word ends in T, it usually is pronounced /ɐ/.
If “ough” ends a word, it’s usually pronounced /oʊ/ or /ʌf/.
The only /u:/ “ough” words you need to learn: through and throughout.
Watch the video below to hear the sounds and practice reading.
Practice Reading:
Doughnuts!, thought Hough. Although he had been furloughed and ought not to, Hough wanted a doughnut. He fought the urge. Throughout his youth he was told to be careful with his money and he sought to be wise, but he wanted a doughnut desperately. He threw on his coat, headed out onto the rough cobblestones, and sought out a doughnut shop. He walked through his borough until he found one, bought enough doughnuts to satisfy his craving, and headed home, munching happily.
More practice:
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