Phonics word list
Ough words
In short
Ough is a spelling with several sounds: /aw/ as in bought, /ō/ as in though, /ŭf/ as in rough, and others in through and cough. Our checked list has 50 words spelled with ough.
At a glance
- Words in our list
- 50
- By syllables
- one syllable: 24 · two syllables: 21 · three or more syllables: 5
- Taught in
- Lesson 116 in the sequence
One spelling, more than one sound
Most lists mix these up. We count each sound separately, so a student practicing one sound only sees words that make it.
| Sound | Example | Words | List |
|---|---|---|---|
| /aw/ | ought | 13 | This page |
| /ō/ | though | 9 | This page |
| /ŭf/ | rough | 13 | This page |
Ough words, most common first
Spelling units show how each word breaks into the letters that spell one sound; a_e is a vowel and silent e working together. Readable after is the first lesson where a student can sound out the whole word.
One syllable
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Sound | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ought | ough·t | 1 | /aw/ | Lesson 116 |
| rough | r·ough | 1 | /ŭf/ | Not in the sequence |
| bought | b·ough·t | 1 | /aw/ | Lesson 116 |
| sought | s·ough·t | 1 | /aw/ | Lesson 116 |
| though | th·ough | 1 | /ō/ | Lesson 116 |
| brought | b·r·ough·t | 1 | /aw/ | Lesson 116 |
| thought | th·ough·t | 1 | /aw/ | Lesson 116 |
| through | th·r·ough | 1 | /ū/ | Not in the sequence |
| thoughts | th·ough·t·s | 1 | /aw/ | Lesson 116 |
| cough | c·ough | 1 | /awf/ | Not in the sequence |
| tough | t·ough | 1 | /ŭf/ | Not in the sequence |
| fought | f·ough·t | 1 | /aw/ | Lesson 116 |
| bough | b·ough | 1 | /ow/ | Not in the sequence |
| dough | d·ough | 1 | /ō/ | Lesson 116 |
| boughs | b·ough·s | 1 | /ow/ | Not in the sequence |
| coughs | c·ough·s | 1 | /awf/ | Not in the sequence |
| toughs | t·ough·s | 1 | /ŭf/ | Not in the sequence |
| trough | t·r·ough | 1 | /awf/ | Not in the sequence |
| coughed | c·ough·ed | 1 | /awf/ | Not in the sequence |
| drought | d·r·ough·t | 1 | /ow/ | Not in the sequence |
| roughed | r·ough·ed | 1 | /ŭf/ | Not in the sequence |
| troughs | t·r·ough·s | 1 | /awf/ | Not in the sequence |
| wrought | wr·ough·t | 1 | /aw/ | Lesson 116 |
| droughts | d·r·ough·t·s | 1 | /ow/ | Not in the sequence |
Two syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Sound | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| enough | e·n·ough | 2 | /ŭf/ | Not in the sequence |
| roughly | r·ough·l·y | 2 | /ŭf/ | Not in the sequence |
| although | a·l·th·ough | 2 | /ō/ | Lesson 116 |
| throughout | th·r·ough·ou·t | 2 | /ū/ | Not in the sequence |
| thorough | th·or·ough | 2 | /ō/ | Lesson 116 |
| throughput | th·r·ough·p·u·t | 2 | /ū/ | Not in the sequence |
| rougher | r·ough·er | 2 | /ŭf/ | Not in the sequence |
| tougher | t·ough·er | 2 | /ŭf/ | Not in the sequence |
| coughing | c·ough·i·ng | 2 | /awf/ | Not in the sequence |
| doughnut | d·ough·n·u·t | 2 | /ō/ | Lesson 116 |
| roughest | r·ough·e·s·t | 2 | /ŭf/ | Not in the sequence |
| roughing | r·ough·i·ng | 2 | /ŭf/ | Not in the sequence |
| toughest | t·ough·e·s·t | 2 | /ŭf/ | Not in the sequence |
| doughnuts | d·ough·n·u·t·s | 2 | /ō/ | Lesson 116 |
| roughness | r·ough·n·e·ss | 2 | /ŭf/ | Not in the sequence |
| toughness | t·ough·n·e·ss | 2 | /ŭf/ | Not in the sequence |
| thoughtful | th·ough·t·f·u·l | 2 | /aw/ | Lesson 116 |
| forethought | f·ore·th·ough·t | 2 | /aw/ | Lesson 116 |
| thoughtless | th·ough·t·l·e·ss | 2 | /aw/ | Lesson 116 |
| breakthrough | b·r·ea·k·th·r·ough | 2 | /ū/ | Not in the sequence |
| breakthroughs | b·r·ea·k·th·r·ough·s | 2 | /ū/ | Not in the sequence |
Three or more syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Sound | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| thoroughly | th·or·ough·l·y | 3 | /ō/ | Lesson 116 |
| thoroughfare | th·or·ough·f·are | 3 | /ō/ | Lesson 116 |
| thoroughfares | th·or·ough·f·are·s | 3 | /ō/ | Lesson 116 |
| thoughtfully | th·ough·t·f·u·ll·y | 3 | /aw/ | Lesson 116 |
| thoughtfulness | th·ough·t·f·u·l·n·e·ss | 3 | /aw/ | Lesson 116 |
When do these words become readable?
The lessons where the most words on this page become decodable. Words marked not in the sequence have a spelling the sequence never teaches as a pattern.
| Readable after | Words |
|---|---|
| Lesson 116 | 22 |
| Not in the sequence | 28 |
How do you teach ough words?
Teach ough in small groups by sound. "Ough has many sounds. Start with /aw/: bought, thought, fought." Then though and dough for /ō/, then rough and tough for /ŭf/. The sound column in the tables groups each word. Older students enjoy the puzzle.
What mistake do students make with ough words?
Students try one sound for every ough word. Teach the flex and the small families. Spelling is learned word by word.
Where do ough words come in the sequence?
Ough comes very late, usually after all other vowel teams. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 116.
Exceptions worth knowing
Through says /ū/, cough says /ŏf/, and bough says /ow/. Each is a family of one or two.
Decodable sentences
Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 116 or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.
- I thought I bought it.
- The dough is soft.
- We fought and fought.
Questions people ask
What are 5 ough words?
How many sounds does ough make?
What are common ough words?
When can a student read ough words?
How this list was built
Every word comes from our lexicon of common English words, each split into spelling units and checked against a pronouncing dictionary, so a word is listed under the sound its spelling really makes. Words a student sees in our assessments are left out. The readable after lesson comes from our decodability engine, which checks each spelling unit and syllable pattern against the lesson sequence. You can run your own text through the same engine with the free decodable text checker.