* Just one more reason, if you needed one, why ploughs should be kept on the farm and off of city streets. *
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* Just one more reason, if you needed one, why ploughs should be kept on the farm and off of city streets. *
Stumpmaster
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Vowels O,U = 4,5. Consonants G,H = 7,8. Total = 24
Yes, "ough" is a word, though it's quite rare and mostly used as an interjection to express pain or disgust—similar to "ugh" or "ow."
Dictionary Definition
- Ough (interjection): Used to express pain or disgust.
Example: "Ough! That hurt!"
Merriam-Webster confirms this usage.
Orthographic Oddity
More famously, "ough" is a notorious tetragraph (a four-letter sequence) in English spelling, known for its wildly inconsistent pronunciation. It can be pronounced in at least 8 different ways, depending on the word:
| Word | Pronunciation | Sound Example |
|---|---|---|
| rough | /ʌf/ | like "tough" |
| though | /oʊ/ | like "go" |
| through | /uː/ | like "true" |
| cough | /ɒf/ | like "off" |
| bough | /aʊ/ | like "cow" |
| bought | /ɔː/ | like "caught" |
| hiccough | /ʌp/ | like "cup" |
| slough | varies | "sluff" or "slew" depending on meaning |
English spelling reformers have long lamented this chaotic cluster. Want to dive into the poetic chaos of “ough” in verse? There’s a delightful piece called “The Chaos” that showcases its absurdity.
Absolutely! Here's a short excerpt from “The Chaos” by Gerard Nolst Trenité—a brilliant and hilarious poem that showcases the absurdities of English spelling and pronunciation:
The Chaos (excerpt)
by Gerard Nolst Trenité
Dearest creature in creation,
Studying English pronunciation,
I will teach you in my verse
Sounds like corpse, corps, horse and worse.
I will keep you, Susy, busy,
Make your head with heat grow dizzy;
Tear in eye, your dress you'll tear;
Queer, fair seer, hear my prayer.
Just compare heart, beard and heard,
Dies and diet, lord and word.
Sword and sward, retain and Britain
(Mind the latter, how it's written!)
Made has not the sound of bade,
Say-said, pay-paid, laid but plaid.
Now I surely will not plague you
With such words as vague and ague.
This is just a taste of the full poem, which includes over 800 examples of English's maddening inconsistencies. If you'd like to read the full version, you can find it on ThoughtCo’s article about “The Chaos”.
Your car gets recalled but the part is never in stock at dealership 
"I got a hundred channels and nothing worth watching . " My wife supplied this one .
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