Believe it or not, the letter combination 'ough' can be pronounced in at least ten different ways in English! This hilarious clip from the classic fifties sitcom 'I Love Lucy' in which Lucy gets her Cuban American husband to read a children's story, illustrates a few of them.
COMMENT
So let's sum up. In the video we had:
• bough (like 'ow' in 'now')
• rough (like 'uff' in 'stuff')
• through ('ew' in 'few; in fact, 'through' is a homophone for 'threw')
• cough (like 'off')
• enough (also like the 'uff' in 'stuff')
However, there are also:
• though (like the 'o' of 'go')
• thorough (like the 'a' of 'above' - aka schwa - in British English, or the 'o' of 'go' in American English)
• ought (like the 'aw' in 'saw')
• hiccough (like 'up', and in fact there is an alternative spelling: 'hiccup')
Now (=how) you know (=no) why learners have problems with English spelling and pronunciation!
TEST YOURSELF
Try saying this sentence.
ALSO SEE
• Pronunciation of -ough (UsingEnglish.com worksheet)
• How do you say OUGH? English Pronunciation (YouTube)
