how to pronounce tough

/ˈtʌf/

audio example by a male speaker

audio example by a female speaker

the above transcription of tough is a detailed (narrow) transcription according to the rules of the International Phonetic Association; you can find a description of each symbol by clicking the phoneme buttons in the secction below.

tough is pronounced in one syllable

press buttons with phonetic symbols to learn how to precisely pronounce each sound of tough

1. example pitch curve for pronunciation of tough

test your pronunciation of tough

press the "test" button to check how closely you can replicate the pitch of a native speaker in your pronunciation of tough

video examples of tough pronunciation

An example use of tough in a speech by a native speaker of american english:

“… jeez brave that's a tough one I can tell …”

meaning of tough

Tough means difficult, challenging, or requiring great effort.

tough frequency in english - B1 level of CEFR

the word tough occurs in english on average 56.3 times per one million words; this frequency warrants it to be in the study list for B1 level of language mastery according to CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference.