5 letters · 2 sounds

How to pronounce
"cough"

"cough" is pronounced with 2 sounds across 2 phonics chunks: c · ough. Tap each box below to hear the sound, then blend them to read the word.

2 sounds · tap a box to hear each sound

Even though 'cough' has 5 letters, it has only 2 sounds — the grapheme 'ough' — a notoriously irregular English pattern.

How do you pronounce "cough"?

To pronounce "cough" correctly, say each of the 2 sounds in order, then blend them smoothly. This technique — Elkonin sound boxes — is used in thousands of US classrooms following the Science of Reading approach. Here's the step-by-step phonics method:

  1. 1 Say the sound for "c" — then pause
  2. 2 Say the sound for "ough" — final sound
  3. ✓ Blend all 2 sounds together: "cough"

Words similar to "cough"

cookcubismdoughenoughthroughbreakthroughalthoughboughboroughbloodstream

Frequently asked questions about "cough"

How do you pronounce "cough"?
To pronounce "cough", say each of its 2 phonics sound chunks in order — c, and ough — then blend them smoothly. Tap the sound boxes above to hear each chunk.
How many sound chunks are in "cough"?
"cough" has 2 phonics sound chunks: c · ough. Breaking a word into chunks helps kids decode it one sound at a time using the Science of Reading approach.
What are the phonics sounds in "cough"?
The phonics sounds in "cough" are c, and ough. Each chunk represents one distinct sound; together they spell the 5-letter word "cough".
How many letters are in "cough"?
"cough" has 5 letters and 2 phonics sound chunks.

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