Most lessons teach the tricky side of GH: it is silent in though and high, and it sounds like /f/ in enough and laugh. That leaves learners nervous about any word with GH in it.
But GH has a simple, reliable third job that almost never fails. In a specific position it is just a plain hard G, exactly like the G in go.
The Rule
When GH begins a word, it is pronounced as a hard /ɡ/ and the H is silent: ghost, ghetto, ghoul, ghastly, gherkin, gust of a ghost story. The same hard /ɡ/ shows up inside some Italian loanwords, where H keeps the G hard before E or I: spaghetti, ghetto, dinghy, spaghetti's family of words.
See the Pattern in Action
| Position of GH | Sound | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| GH at the start of a word | /ɡ/ (hard g) | ghost, ghetto, ghoul |
| GH inside (Italian loans) | /ɡ/ (hard g) | spaghetti, gherkin |
| GH after a vowel | silent | though, high, daughter |
| GH after a vowel | /f/ | enough, laugh, cough |
Words to Practice
Common Exceptions
After a vowel, GH goes back to its famous tricks: it is silent in though, through, high, night, daughter, weight, and it says /f/ in enough, tough, rough, cough, laugh. So position is everything: GH at the start is /ɡ/, GH after a vowel is either silent or /f/.
Quick Tips to Remember
Remember one anchor word, ghost, for the hard-G rule. If GH opens the word, say a clean /ɡ/ and skip the H. Read ghost, ghetto, ghoul, and spaghetti aloud, then practice your pronunciation.