step079.htm/27SEP2001

Step 79. ough

You have had ou and gh. Now we put them together. We cannot say, as we have done previously, "ough says..." because it says six different things, in addition to the way it sounds in the "ought" words. This is the group of words from which people choose when they want to "prove that phonics does not work".

‑ough

In cough the ough says OFF

trough

In en____)

r____)} the ough says UFF

t____)

In pl____) the ough says OW as in COW

b____)

In thr_____ (one‑ word only) the ough says 00

In d______ the ough says Oh!, the long sound of the vowel 0.

In thor____ly ) the ough says U as in CUP

bor_____ (Scarbor____))

In Loughborough, the first ‑ough says UFF, and the second says a short U.(Luffburru.)

Read the words down, first with the help of pronunciation clues, then without, from top to bottom, then bottom to top, then random, then try to spell them from dictation.

From this point, you will probably not need more games. It is enough just to do the writing and practise the lists of words. You can play the games from previous Steps as a form of revision. Remind of the rules before the game begins.

Fill in the gaps below with words containing ‑ough from the list above:

1. Billy _____ed all _______ the night; he could not get ______ sleep, _______ he did take his medicine.

2. The pig ate from a ______ under the _____ of a

tree. The farmer ______ed his field ________ly.

3. The _______ was in an inner city, with a lot of

_____ boys.

4. The baker mixed _____ before he made bread.