How to Pronounce Cough

To pronounce "cough", say COUGH — one syllable, IPA /ˈkɑf/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

cough

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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Syllable

Letters

/ˈkɑf/

🇺🇸 IPA (US)

/kˈɒf/

🇬🇧 IPA (UK)

"cough" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with scoff and trough, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: koff — easy to mix up when writing.

noun

A sudden, usually noisy expulsion of air from the lungs, often involuntary.
“Behind me, I heard a distinct, dry cough.”
A condition that causes one to cough; a tendency to cough.
“Sorry, I can't come to work today – I've got a nasty cough.”

verb

To push air from the lungs in a quick, noisy explosion.
“I breathed in a lungful of smoke by mistake, and started to cough.”
(sometimes followed by "up") To force something out of the throat or lungs by coughing.
“Sometimes she coughed (up) blood.”

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

How many syllables are in "cough"?▾

"Cough" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "cough"?▾

The IPA transcription of "cough" is /ˈkɑf/.

What does "cough" mean?▾

Cough: A sudden, usually noisy expulsion of air from the lungs, often involuntary.

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