How to pronounce “plough”
Plough is pronounced /ˈplaʊ/. It has 1 syllable. Below: the syllable split, native audio in both accents, the mistake people actually make with this word, and every individual sound in it explained.
Syllables and stress
Split it into 1 beat. It is a single beat — one vowel, said in one push of breath.
Stress pattern O — capital letters mark the stressed beats.
The common mispronunciation of “plough”
✗ Often said: /ˈplaʊɡh/ — the spelling, read straight off the page.
✓ Actually: /ˈplaʊ/
Why the two come apart: the silent “gh” is not pronounced, even though the spelling begs you to say it.
This is why reading English aloud from spelling alone goes wrong so often: the letters of “plough” are not a reliable map of its sounds. The IPA is — each symbol stands for exactly one sound, every time.
“plough” sound by sound
“plough” is built out of 3 sounds. Say each one on its own first, slowly, then run them together at speed. Every sound links to a full guide with mouth position, the mistake learners make with it, and other words that use it.
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pPress both lips together, build up air behind them, then release with a puff of air (aspiration) when the sound starts a stressed syllable.
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lTouch the tongue tip to the ridge behind the upper teeth and let the voiced air flow around the sides of the tongue.
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aʊStart with the mouth wide open at /a/ and glide back and up toward /ʊ/, rounding the lips as the jaw closes.
Silent letters in “plough”
Letters you write but never say — this is the single biggest reason the word trips people up:
- ghThe letter “gh”Silent “gh” — write it, but do not let it reach your mouth.
Words that rhyme with “plough”
Same ending sound from the stressed vowel on — a good way to hear whether you have the vowel right:
Minimal pairs — words one sound away from “plough”
Each of these differs from “plough” by exactly one sound. If you can say both of a pair and hear the difference, that sound is under control:
Questions people ask about “plough”
- How do you pronounce “plough”?
- “plough” is pronounced /ˈplaʊ/. Press the US or UK button above to hear it spoken.
- How many syllables are in “plough”?
- “plough” has 1 syllable. The stress pattern is O.
- What is the common mispronunciation of “plough”?
- People read it off the spelling as /ˈplaʊɡh/, but it is actually /ˈplaʊ/, because the silent “gh” is not pronounced, even though the spelling begs you to say it.
- Does “plough” have any silent letters?
- Yes — silent “gh”.
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