Slough (Pronunciation)?

Question

Why is Slough pronounced 'as in Plough' whilst Brough in Cumbria is pronounced "Bruf'

Answer 1

Though through Slough it's rough...

Stupid English language!

(For those not familiar with it, it's pronounced like:
Thoe throo slaow it's ruff

It's all because of the multiple influences in the English language. Celtic, Roman, Saxon and Norman. That combination has made our language nigh on unpronounceable.

Improvement on the sentence above having seen another reply:

Though through Slough I had a throroughly rough cough...

Answer 2

Hey Issac, my first language is English and I STILL don't speak it correctly. I'm 42 years old and I still find words that I don't understand. I love doing puzzles and word play and I'm always finding words that I can't pronounce or know the meaning of. I learn something new every day. Your friend is wrong, not everyone who speaks English, or any other language for that matter, is good at guessing pronunciation. There are so many accents in the English language as well. I'm from Australia and the accent is totally different to that of the Americans or the British, etc. The longer a person spends in a country, the easier it becomes to learn the language and you may pick up the mannerisms and quirks that come from that particular area. You may even pick up the accent if you stay long enough. Good luck!

Answer 3

Presuambly the two names have different histories. Northern names and anything on the East coast are more likely to have Viking input then other areas, for example.

Plus, spelling wasn't standardised until the sixteenth / seventeenth centuries, so as mass literacy spread, people who'd always called the place where they live 'Bruff' started to write it, too, and had to decide on a spelling.

The whole thing hinges on the enormous input of other languages into English over time, which has led to the words though, thorough, bough, cough, and rough all being pronounced differently.

Answer 4

English is a silly language...look at how 'ough' is pronounced in these words...a nightmare for learners:-
chOUGH
cOUGH
trOUGH
thOUGHt
thrOUGH
thorOUGH
thOUGH
bOUGH
bOUGHt
tOUGH
Which pronunciation to choose???There is no rule, you just have to learn each one...even then as with Slough, you have differing opinions as you've found out.

Answer 5

In American English - it's "sluff". As in, He sloughed off the insults - just like water off a duck's back.

Answer 6

Trying to apply logic to English spelling, especially place names, will drive you insane. Slough is pronounced Slow ('ow' as in cow).
Brough is Bruf (the 'gh' as in couGH).
What does GHOTI spell?
I live in Reading and teach children with reading difficulties.
I'm going to climb up to that bough and tie a bow on it to show you that I bow to your beauty and superior intelligence.

Answer 7

Slough rhymes with cow, and not cuff.
The 'ough' sequence varies as much in placenames as it does in other English words, and you will just have to learn them one by one. This is best illustrated with three districts of Milton Keynes: Loughton (low-ton), Broughton (braw-ton) and Woughton (woof-ton).

Answer 8

What about
Loughborough (!)
the Poles at work just think we're mad.

and I live in Derby (Darby?)

Answer 9

In a place name slough = slew

but then if you are not working as hard as you 'ought' to be you are sluffing of !

..............Go figure !..........

Answer 10

Here in the Midlands we Call it Sluff too !!!!