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?
