How to pronounce plough
Say it like PLOW. Plough 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 plough. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- PLOW
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Plough pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- PLOWSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ow" in now.
American vs British pronunciation of plough
American and British speakers say plough in essentially the same way: /plaʊ/ in the US and /plaʊ/ in the UK.
British respelling: PLOW.
Other ways to say plough
Plough also has this pronunciation, usually with a different meaning or use:
- PLOH /ploʊ/
What does plough mean?
- A device pulled through the ground in order to break it open into furrows for planting.“The horse-drawn plow had a tremendous impact on agriculture.”
- A joiner's plane for making grooves.
- A bookbinder's implement for trimming or shaving off the edges of books.
- To use a plow on soil to prepare for planting.“I've still got to plow that field.”
- To use a plow.“Some days I have to plow from sunrise to sunset.”
- To move with force.“Trucks plowed through the water to ferry flood victims to safety.”
Where does plough come from?
From Middle English plouh, plow, plugh(e), plow(e), plouw, from Old English plōh (“hide of land, plowland”) and Old Norse plógr (“plow (the implement)”), both from Proto-Germanic *plōgaz, *plōguz (“plow”).
Words that rhyme with plough
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of plough.
Words that sound like plough
Questions about saying plough
How do you pronounce plough?
Say PLOW. The American pronunciation is /plaʊ/. In British English it is /plaʊ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in plough?
Plough is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: PLOW.
Do Americans and Brits say plough the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /plaʊ/ and the British form is /plaʊ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as plough?
Plough sounds the same as plow in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.