how to pronounce tough

/tʌf/

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

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1. example pitch curve for pronunciation of tough

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video examples of tough pronunciation

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

“… it it's not a tough year for everyone …”

meaning of tough

Tough means difficult, challenging, or requiring great effort.

tough frequency in english - B2 level of CEFR

the word tough occurs in english on average 32.5 times per one million words; this frequency warrants it to be in the study list for B2 level of language mastery according to CEFR, the Common European Framework of Reference.