How to pronounce rough
rough
/rʌf/
1 syllable
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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.
Rough, sound by sound
| /r/as in red | The tongue curls back and touches nothing. No tap, no trill. |
| /ʌ/as in cup | A short, relaxed “uh”; the mouth is barely open. |
| /f/as in five | Upper teeth on the lower lip, no voice. |
In a sentence
I have a rough idea where it is.
Words that rhyme with rough
More words with the /r/ sound
- qatar/kʌˈtɑːr/
- jorge/ˈhɔːrheɪ/
- curacao/ˈkjʊrəsaʊ/
- genre/ˈʒɑːnrə/
- versailles/verˈsaɪ/
- khmer/kmer/
- uranus/ˈjuːrənəs/
- february/ˈfebjəweri/
- kyrgyzstan/ˈkɪrgɪstæn/
- route/ruːt/
Questions and answers
How do you pronounce rough?
Rough is pronounced /rʌf/ in American English.
How many syllables are in rough?
Rough has 1 syllable.
What rhymes with rough?
slough, hough.
Is there a silent or unusual letter in rough?
-ough- has no single reading in English: though /ðəʊ/, through /θruː/, tough /tʌf/, thought /θɔːt/. It has to be learned word by word.