Why Are ‘Tough,’ ‘Though,’ and ‘Through’ Pronounced Differently?
At first glance, "tough," "though," and "through" seem like they should rhyme with their matching endings. But say them out loud, and you'll have three different vowel sounds. The reason for the pronunciation mismatch turns out to be an evolution of "ough" that dates to the Middle Ages. "Ough" in
Middle English included a sound that is nearly extinct in modern English: a guttural consonant pronounced in the back of the throat, similar to the "ch" in the Scottish "loch." This raspy sound is a fricative. Words with "ough" were pronounced with a vowel sound followed by the raspy consonant....
