Why does the ending -ough have six pronunciations?
Jun 29, 2011 · ough = /uː/ "oo" sound: through < OE þurh; slough (n) (some varieties) According to the OED, the vowel sound used for ough in through is the result of re-stressing a vowel that …
Spelling with 'ought' or 'aught' - English Language & Usage Stack …
The o forms and a forms remained distinct in Middle English because the sequences -augh-and -ough-were phonologically different; however, in some dialects in late Middle English -ough …
word choice - English Language & Usage Stack Exchange
@Mehper: I bet you had no idea this question was going to open such a can of worms! I think it's one of those pathological cases (in the mathematical sense of one whose properties are …
Why isn’t the pronunciation of "though" anyhow close to the one …
Mar 11, 2015 · The graphemic sequence -ough has at least ten different pronunciations in current English (some very common, some extremely rare). Their various histories are quite complex, …
A pronunciation question of slough - English Language & Usage …
Feb 22, 2017 · A rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough; after falling into a slough, he coughed and hiccoughed. 'Slough' isn't bolded, so …
Why does "ow" have two different sounds - English Language
There are lots of letter combinations in English that are not always pronounced the same. Even a simple o can be pronounced in a number of different ways, not to mention ough. There are …
English letter sequence with most pronunciations
Nov 19, 2010 · The letters -ough- can be pronounced a ridiculous number of different ways in English. Here is a possibly incomplete list: tough, enough cough, trough bough, plough …
etymology - Different ways to pronounce "augh" - English …
From my dictionary (I also put the ones you mentioned): caught |kôt| - ORIGIN: Middle English (also in the sense [chase]): from Anglo-Norman French and Old Northern French cachier, …
"ought" with or without "to"? [duplicate] - English Language
Oct 21, 2023 · We usually say "ought to" not "ought". (Although more often we say "should"). I wonder when I can say "ought" without "to".
Difference between "should" and "ought to"
‘An A-Z of English Grammar and Usage’ by Leech and others says: You can always use should instead of ought to. ...