O.U.G.H.

Poem to enjoy learning British-English pronunciation

There are more than six ways to pronounce ‘ough’ in English — just learn the ones you need. Image: author’s own.

Read this rhyming poem out loud to help you learn the many different ways that ‘ough’ is pronounced in British English. Verses 2–10 include different pronunciations of ‘ough’ in the last line which rhymes with the second. Listen to the audio here

O.U.G.H. are often together
To keep English learners learning English forever
Even though they are are all around
Their many pronunciations might run you aground

Read this poem aloud
That’s all you need to do
It gives you the right sounds
To lead you through

So if you think about
A hair-cutting barber
You can easily say
“I went to York to see Scarborough”

Reading English out loud
Your skills will grow
The sounds might not match the letters
Although…..

You’ll find in your journey
Learning more English stuff
Pronunciation and spelling
Are really quite tough

Please be determined
And don’t be put off
Replace words you can’t say
With a sneeze or a cough

It takes practice and training
And friendly support
Because pronunciation skills
Cannot be bought

“NO MORE WORDS I DON’T USE”
English learners will shout
As they’re told ‘a long time with no rain
Is a drought’

Learning to speak English
You can easily go nuts
So take regular breaks
With tea and doughnuts

There are so many ways with this
O.U.G.H. stuff
I trust we all agree now that
Enough is enough