To pronounce "tough", say TUFF — one syllable, IPA /ˈtəf/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.
tough
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Accent
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1
Syllable
5
Letters
/ˈtəf/
🇺🇸 IPA (US)
/tˈʌf/
🇬🇧 IPA (UK)
"tough" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat.
noun
“They were doing fine until they encountered a bunch of toughs from the opposition.”
verb
adjective
“The tent, made of tough canvas, held up to many abuses.”
“To soften a tough cut of meat, the recipe suggested simmering it for hours.”
Related pages on PronounceIt, chosen from what we know about this word.
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Tough appears in The "-ough" Problem: One Spelling, Eight Sounds — others from that list:
Read next: 20 Commonly Mispronounced English Words (and How to Say Them)
To pronounce "tough", say TUFF — one syllable, IPA /ˈtəf/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.
"Tough" has one syllable.
The IPA transcription of "tough" is /ˈtəf/.
Tough: A person who obtains things by force; a thug or bully.
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