The -ough letter string
Year group: 5/6
Source: DfE, English Appendix 1: Spelling, National Curriculum for England (2013) — Years 5–6
Curriculum requirement: Statutory
Purpose: Years 5–6 guide to the -ough spelling pattern — the six different sounds it represents, statutory word list, and practice activities.
The rule
The letter string -ough is one of the most notorious in English because it represents at least seven different sounds. There is no reliable rule for predicting which sound applies — the pronunciations must be learned word by word, grouped by sound family.
The key insight for teaching: group the words by sound, not by spelling. When children see that though, although, and dough all rhyme, and that through rhymes with blue, the pattern becomes memorable.
The seven sounds of -ough
1. -ough = /oʊ/ (like "oh")
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| though | even if; despite the fact that |
| although | even though |
| dough | uncooked bread mixture |
| borough | a town or district |
| furlough | leave of absence |
Memory hook: "THOUGH the DOUGH is in the BOROUGH, I'll go there ALTHOUGH it's far."
2. -ough = /uː/ (like "oo")
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| through | from one side to the other; by means of |
| throughout | all the way through |
Memory hook: "THROUGH the hoop — all the way OO!"
3. -ough = /ʌf/ (like "uff")
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| rough | not smooth; harsh |
| tough | strong; hard to cut or break |
| enough | as much as needed |
| slough | a marshy area; to shed (skin) |
Memory hook: "ENOUGH is TOUGH — it's ROUGH going!"
4. -ough = /ɒf/ (like "off")
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| cough | to expel air from lungs |
| trough | a long container for animal feed or water |
Memory hook: "A COFFin in a TROUGH — OF course!"
5. -ough = /ɔː/ (like "aw")
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| thought | past tense of think |
| bought | past tense of buy |
| brought | past tense of bring |
| fought | past tense of fight |
| sought | past tense of seek |
| ought | should |
| nought | zero; nothing |
| wrought | shaped by hammering; caused (wrought iron) |
Memory hook: These are all past-tense verbs (mostly) with the "aw" sound. Think: "I THOUGHT, BOUGHT, BROUGHT, FOUGHT, SOUGHT."
6. -ough = /aʊ/ (like "ow" — rhymes with "cow")
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| plough | a farming tool for turning soil; to move forward with effort |
| bough | a branch of a tree |
| drought | a long period without rain |
| slough | (alternative pronunciation) to shed skin |
Memory hook: "The PLOUGH on the BOUGH during the DROUGHT" — all rhyme with "cow."
7. -ough = /ə/ (unstressed "uh" — in some accents)
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| thorough | complete; careful and detailed |
| borough | (some accents) a district |
Memory hook: "THOROUGH" — the -ough is a weak unstressed ending.
Summary table
| Sound | Words |
|---|---|
| /oʊ/ (oh) | though, although, dough, borough |
| /uː/ (oo) | through, throughout |
| /ʌf/ (uff) | rough, tough, enough |
| /ɒf/ (off) | cough, trough |
| /ɔː/ (aw) | thought, bought, brought, fought, sought, ought, nought |
| /aʊ/ (ow) | plough, bough, drought |
| /ə/ (uh) | thorough |
Etymology note
The letter string -ough represents Old English -oh or -ōh, which originally had the /x/ sound (like the ch in Scottish loch). Over centuries, as the /x/ sound disappeared from English, different regions and dialects pronounced what remained differently. The spelling was fixed in the late Middle Ages before pronunciation stabilised — which is why one spelling now represents seven sounds. The -ough words are a fossil of medieval pronunciation diversity preserved in modern spelling.
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| tho / altho | though / although | /oʊ/ — informal abbreviation, not standard |
| enuff | enough | /ʌf/ |
| thru | through | /uː/ — informal only |
| truely thorough | truly thorough | /ə/ — but thorough itself is often misspelled thorogh |
| plow | plough | /aʊ/ — American spelling; British is plough |
| draught (for dry spell) | drought | these are different words — draught = a current of air or a beer measure |
Word sort
Sort these words by the sound -ough makes. Use the sound families above.
Words: though · through · rough · cough · thought · plough · enough · although · brought · tough · drought · thorough · bought · dough · bough · nought
| /oʊ/ | /uː/ | /ʌf/ | /ɒf/ | /ɔː/ | /aʊ/ | /ə/ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dictation sentences
- Though it was rough, she was tough enough to get through the competition.
- She thought she had bought enough dough to last the week, although she was thorough in her planning.
- The farmer guided the plough through the field during the drought, thinking of nought but the harvest.
- His cough was tough to treat, though the doctor had sought the right medicine.
- Throughout the storm, the old bough bent but did not break.
Classroom display idea
Create a "Sounds of -ough" wall chart with one word per sound family, arranged by sound. Children add examples as they find them in their reading. The chart becomes a shared class reference.
Source: DfE English Appendix 1: Spelling (2013), which explicitly cites the -ough letter string in the Years 5–6 statutory content. All examples verified against standard British English usage.