How to Pronounce Cough

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

cough

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Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

5

Letters

/ˈkɑf/

🇺🇸 IPA (US)

/kˈɒf/

🇬🇧 IPA (UK)

💡 Tip for remembering “cough”

"cough" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat.

What does cough mean?

verb

  1. Sometimes followed by up: to force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth.
  2. Sometimes followed by up: to force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth.

noun

  1. A sudden, often involuntary expulsion of air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth.
  2. A bout of repeated coughing (verb etymology 1 sense 2.1); also, a medical condition that causes one to cough.

interjection

  1. Used to represent the sound of a cough (noun sense 1), especially when focusing attention on a following utterance, often an attribution of blame or a euphemism: ahem.

Keep practicing

Related pages on PronounceIt, chosen from what we know about this word.

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Sounds worth drilling for a word spelled like this:

/əʊ/ — long o/aʊ/ — ow/g/ — g

Cough appears in The "-ough" Problem: One Spelling, Eight Sounds — others from that list:

throughthoughtoughthoughtboughenoughhiccough

Read next: 20 Commonly Mispronounced English Words (and How to Say Them)

Frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce "cough"?▾

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

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: Sometimes followed by up: to force (something) out of the lungs or throat by pushing air from the lungs through the glottis (causing a short, explosive sound), and out through the mouth.

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