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Clee62 Posted 15 years ago
Grammar
Ph ending words
Hi,
I have hard time figuring out whether to pronounce the"f" sound for words ending in ph.
For example, i saw a city in England called "Desborough". I remember there is a city called Scarborough. Or they pronounce like "through" and "rough"?Is there a rule for this?
Thanks,
I have hard time figuring out whether to pronounce the"f" sound for words ending in ph.
For example, i saw a city in England called "Desborough". I remember there is a city called Scarborough. Or they pronounce like "through" and "rough"?Is there a rule for this?
Thanks,
Top answer
" In the use, those would both be said as though it ended in burrow. That's not quite right - it's a cross between 'bro with the same sound as throw - and burrow. "
- " In the use, those would both be said as though it ended in burrow.
- That's not quite right - it's a cross between 'bro with the same sound as throw - and burrow.
- "
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8 Answers
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You wrote "ph" but you gave two cities ending in "gh."
In the use, those would both be said as though it ended in burrow. That's not quite right - it's a cross between 'bro with the same sound as throw - and burrow. But they certainly don't have the same sound as "rough."
In the use, those would both be said as though it ended in burrow. That's not quite right - it's a cross between 'bro with the same sound as throw - and burrow. But they certainly don't have the same sound as "rough."
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Here's the pronunciation for "borough".
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/borough
When suffixed to another syllable or two, the "bor" tends to become "br".
CJ
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/borough
When suffixed to another syllable or two, the "bor" tends to become "br".
CJ
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thank your very much Grammar Geek. How about the word trough? is it the same true?
thanks,
thanks,
00
Final ough
= ow as in cow: bough, plough, slough, sough
= oa as in oat: though, although, dough, borough, furlough, thorough
= oo as in moon: through, slough
= uff as in stuff: tough, rough, slough, enough, sough
= off as in off: cough, trough
= up as in up: hiccough
CJ
= ow as in cow: bough, plough, slough, sough
= oa as in oat: though, although, dough, borough, furlough, thorough
= oo as in moon: through, slough
= uff as in stuff: tough, rough, slough, enough, sough
= off as in off: cough, trough
= up as in up: hiccough
CJ
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The final two syllables of place names in Britain that end in ough, like Scarborough, are correctly pronounced -buh-ruh. So Scarborough is pronounced ska-buh-ruh. The same applies to Edinburgh, which although not ending in ough, is also correctly pronounced ed-in-buh-ruh. Of course, a lot depends on how carefully one enunciates the individual syllables. L
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BillJBut whatever you do, do not pronounce names like Buckingham as the laughable buk-ing-hamLikewise with Oregon, which is not OR-e-GON, but OR-i-guhn.
We do have Birmingham as BUR-ming-HAM here, however.
CJ
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There will always be pronunciations favored by the locals that seem counterintuitive to others, and that immediately mark people as being "from away."
Topsham and Lancaster are two I've lived near.
Top-SHAM shows you've never set foot in the town, and Lan-CASTer also marks you as a non-native.
Topsham and Lancaster are two I've lived near.
Top-SHAM shows you've never set foot in the town, and Lan-CASTer also marks you as a non-native.
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