English pronunciation · Words Starting with T
Tough Pronunciation
Tough is pronounced TUHF, IPA /ˈtəf/.
TUHF
US /ˈtəf/ · UK /ˈtʌf/
Syllables: TUHF (1 syllable)
adjective: Hard to break, hard to chew, or hard to deal with.
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Tough in a Sentence
- The meat was tough and tasted of nothing.
- It has been a tough year for the shop.
- You need tough boots for that path.
Common Mispronunciations of Tough
Not TOO
The gh is an f sound here, so the word ends in an f and rhymes with stuff. Silent gh belongs to though and through instead.
Not TOHF
The vowel is the short uh of cup. The ou spelling covers half a dozen sounds in English and this is the shortest of them.
Tip: Group it with rough, enough, and cough, where gh is pronounced, and keep it apart from dough and bough, where it is not.
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