English is weird. It can be understood through tough thorough thought, though.
Yes, English is weird, but this word still breaks rules. “Gh” (pronounced “f”) is never at the beginning of a word, and “ti” (pronounced “sh”) is never at the end.
How many ways can “ough” be pronounced in English?
through - oo
tough - uff
though - oh
thought - ah
cough - off
bough - ow
Any others?
thought - ah
?
thought - or; if you pronounce it the UK/Aus/NZ way
thought - o; if you pronounce it with a general American accent
As for others:
- thorough - uh (schwa)
- hiccough - up
I’m referring to American English specifically. “o” would make me think it’s pronounced “thoat”, but it’s the sound I meant.
“thorough” rhymes with “oh” in Standard American English.
“Hiccough” is a good one. I always hated that spelling and prefer “hiccup” for that reason.
Would phoneticizing it as “aw” help? American English pronounces “thought” as if you added a t to ‘thaw’
Saying it’s “o” makes it sound like you mean it to be pronounced “oh”
Fun fact: Ghoti is a (sort of) derogatory term for people with ancestry from West Bengal (a state in India) used by people with ancestry from Bangladesh. (Sort of, because no one really considers it offensive. The modern use is usually limited to signifying cultural differences.)
ghoti my love
