How to Pronounce “enough”

American (US)

/ɪˈnʌf/

British (UK)

/ɪˈnʌf/

Australian (AU)

/əˈnɐf/

determiner — Sufficient; all that is required, needed, or appropriate.

Example: I've already had enough coffee today.

The gh sounds like f. In “enough” the gh is pronounced /f/. It is one of the few survivals of the old gh consonant, and it is why the word does not rhyme with its spelling.

Where the stress falls. “enough” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ɪˈnʌf/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

What does "enough" mean?

enough (determiner): Sufficient; all that is required, needed, or appropriate. For example — I've already had enough coffee today.

How do you pronounce "enough" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "enough", /ɪˈnʌf/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "enough"?

/ɪˈnʌf/ in American English, /ɪˈnʌf/ in British English, /əˈnɐf/ in Australian English.

Which syllable is stressed in "enough"?

“enough” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ɪˈnʌf/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

• -OUGH words
• GH words