Sound: Tricky Spellings
Some spelling patterns have many sounds.
Examples
- ough: through, though, tough
Key rules
- Some spellings, such as ough, have many different sounds
- ough can be pronounced /uː/ (through), /əʊ/ (though), /ʌf/ (tough) and /ɒf/ (cough)
- Learn the pronunciation with each word
Common mistakes
- tough pronounced /tuː/ → Say /tʌf/
- through pronounced /θraʊ/ → Say /θruː/
Use cases
- Spelling and pronunciation
- Reading aloud
- Learning new vocabulary
💡 Tip: Group words that share a spelling pattern, then note their different sounds in a list.