The Fascinating World of Non-Rhyming Words

Have you ever noticed that some words don't rhyme, even though they should?

If so, you’re not alone. Many non-native English speakers—and even native speakers—are surprised to find out that some seemingly similar words won’t form a perfect rhyme. Let’s take a look at five common words that don’t rhyme and explore why this is the case.

bough
rough
through
cough
enough

They look like they should rhyme, right?

Well, they don’t. They are each pronounced with different vowel sounds.

bough = /BOW/
rough = /RUHF/
through = /THRUUU/
cough = /KAWF/
enough = /uh-NUHFF/

Learn and practice the American pronunciation in this lesson.

For ESL students or anyone looking to improve their English skills, understanding why certain pairs don't form proper rhymes can help you better understand how English works.  With enough practice you'll probably even start noticing more word pairs like these!