How to pronounce bought
bought
/bɑːt/
1 syllable
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There is a second pronunciation: /bɔːt/.
What to watch for
-ough- has no single reading in English: though /ðəʊ/, through /θruː/, tough /tʌf/, thought /θɔːt/. It has to be learned word by word.
Bought, sound by sound
| /b/as in bed | A voiced “b”. Do not turn it into “p” at the end of a word. |
| /ɑː/as in father | A deep, long “ah”; the tongue lies low and back. |
| /t/as in ten | Tongue tip on the ridge behind the upper teeth, not on the teeth. With a light puff of air. |
Words that rhyme with bought
More words with the /t/ sound
- qatar/kʌˈtɑːr/
- massachusetts/mæsəˈtʃuːsəts/
- tinnitus/ˈtɪnɪtəs/
- worcestershire/ˈwʊstərʃər/
- vignette/vɪnˈjet/
- kyrgyzstan/ˈkɪrgɪstæn/
- route/ruːt/
- charcuterie/ˈʃɑːrkʊtriː/
- ubiquitous/juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/
- stephen/ˈstiːvən/
Questions and answers
How do you pronounce bought?
Bought is pronounced /bɑːt/ in American English. A second pronunciation, /bɔːt/, is also used.
How many syllables are in bought?
Bought has 1 syllable.
Is there a silent or unusual letter in bought?
-ough- has no single reading in English: though /ðəʊ/, through /θruː/, tough /tʌf/, thought /θɔːt/. It has to be learned word by word.