English pronunciation

How to pronounce “cough

Phonetic spelling

KAHF

IPA /ˈkɑf/

Syllable stress

kahf

Stress falls on the highlighted syllable.

How do you spell “cough”?

c o u g h

cough” is spelled C-O-U-G-H. It is pronounced KAHF, so the spelling and the sound do not match letter for letter. Listen to the audio above and say it aloud while you read the letters.

Hear it in a sentence

  • She has a bad cough that won't go away.

  • Please cover your mouth when you cough.

Related words to practice