28/08/2025
You know how English loves surprises… especially with that sneaky little duo: "gh"!
Let me take you through a fun learning moment I had with my niece, Mariam.
One evening, she asked, “Why is gh silent in night but sounds like /f/ in laugh, and like /g/ in ghost?” I nodded. This diagraph confuses so many children!
So here’s the neat breakdown I shared with her:
When “gh” is Silent
It comes at the end, after a vowel, making the vowel say it's name, like in:
night, light, high, through
𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐩:
"gh"is sleeping : just say the name of the vowel before it!
When “gh” Sounds Like /f/
It’s often found after “ou” or “au”, or at the word’s end like:
laugh, cough, tough, enough,
𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐩:
"gh" is playing a prank,looks serious, but sounds funny!😂
When “gh” Sounds Like /g/
This happens right at the beginning of a word:
ghost, ghastly, ghoul
𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐩:
Call them the “spooky GH words", they sound strong as ghouls!
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠:
By using simple rules and memory prompts:
✓You help kids group words logically.
✓They stop getting confused when they read.
✓It becomes a fun “code” they can crack.
Can you think of another tricky ‘gh’ word we didn’t mention?
Drop it in the comments and let’s see how many we can find! Also,how do you explain this ‘gh’ mystery to your learners? Share your tricks below!”
