How to pronounce sought
Say it like SAWT. Sought 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 sought. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SAWT
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Sought pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SAWTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "aw" in law.
American vs British pronunciation of sought
American and British speakers say sought in essentially the same way: /sɔt/ in the US and /sɔːt/ in the UK.
British respelling: SAWT.
What does sought mean?
- that is looked for“the long sought relatives”
- being searched for“the most sought-after item was the silver candelabrum”
Words that rhyme with sought
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of sought.
Words that sound like sought
Questions about saying sought
How do you pronounce sought?
Say SAWT. The American pronunciation is /sɔt/. In British English it is /sɔːt/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in sought?
Sought is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: SAWT.
Do Americans and Brits say sought the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /sɔt/ and the British form is /sɔːt/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as sought?
Sought sounds the same as sot in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.