An Interesting Digraph

One of the most interesting consonant blends, known as a digraph, is the one formed by the letters (gh). The reason it is so interesting is that it is one of the most versatile digraphs in the English language.

The digraph (gh) can be pronounced as (f), as in tough, trough or enough.

It becomes completely silent in the words light, sight or thought, but then, when we add that letter (t) at the end to form (ght), it makes this a trigraph.  And then, if you add the letter (h) to the word trough (see above) to form another digraph (th), at the other end of the word (gh) becomes what are called ‘empty letters’ or ‘silent letters” in the word through, although it technically converts the (aw) sound in thought to an (oo) sound.

When the (gh) digraph is at the front of a word it always takes the form of a hard (g), as in ghetto or ghastly.  In this instance (h) becomes a silent letter, but it serves the purpose to let you know that the (g) sound is the guttural one.

This digraph (gh) can also become a vowel pronounced as (o), as in Edinburgh.

Just when you think you’ve seen them all, here’s another one.  The (gh) in the word slough can be pronounced as either (ff) or not at all—the “empty letters” (oo) sound again. If you pronounce it (sloff), you’re referring to a coating or skin being cast off, but when you pronounce it, (sloo), you’re indicating a shallow and muddy inlet from the sea.

There are hundreds of words that use the (gh) digraph in one form or another, and in each case there is no rhyme or reason for the way it is pronounced or not pronounced.

Is it any wonder that English is called one of the hardest languages to learn?