How to pronounce bought
Say it like BOT. Bought is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce bought. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- BOT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Bought pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- BOTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ah" in father.
American vs British pronunciation of bought
American and British speakers say bought in essentially the same way: /bɑt/ in the US and /bɔːt/ in the UK.
British respelling: BAWT.
Other ways to say bought
Bought also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- BAWT /bɔt/
What does bought mean?
- simple past and past participle of buy. How to pronounce buy“She bought an expensive bag last week.”
- Compromised by money from special interests; corrupt.“Any senators who vote for this bill must be bought.”
Words that rhyme with bought
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of bought.
Words that sound like bought
Questions about saying bought
How do you pronounce bought?
Say BOT. The American pronunciation is /bɑt/. In British English it is /bɔːt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in bought?
Bought is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: BOT.
Do Americans and Brits say bought the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /bɑt/ and the British form is /bɔːt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as bought?
Bought sounds the same as baht in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.