How to pronounce rough
Say it like RUHF. Rough 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 rough. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- RUHF
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Rough pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- RUHFSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of rough
American and British speakers say rough in essentially the same way: /rʌf/ in the US and /rʌf/ in the UK.
British respelling: RUHF.
What does rough mean?
- having or caused by an irregular surface“trees with rough bark”“rough ground”
- (of persons or behavior) lacking refinement or finesse“she was a diamond in the rough”“rough manners”
- not quite exact or correct“the approximate time was 10 o'clock”“a rough guess”
- prepare in preliminary or sketchy form
- with roughness or violence (rough is an informal variant for roughly)“he was pushed roughly aside”“they treated him rough”
- with rough motion as over a rough surface“ride rough”
Where does rough come from?
Cognate with Scots ruch, rouch (“rough”), Saterland Frisian ruuch, rouch (“rough”), West Frisian rûch (“rough”), Low German ruuch (“rough”), Dutch ruig (“rough”), German rau(h) (“rough”), Danish ru (“uneven on the surface, "rough", "rugged"”).
Similar and opposite words
Opposite meaning
Words that rhyme with rough
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of rough.
Words that sound like rough
Questions about saying rough
How do you pronounce rough?
Say RUHF. The American pronunciation is /rʌf/. In British English it is /rʌf/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in rough?
Rough is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: RUHF.
Do Americans and Brits say rough the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /rʌf/ and the British form is /rʌf/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as rough?
Rough sounds the same as ruff in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.