How to Pronounce "drought"
The correct pronunciation of "drought" is DROWT /draʊt/. Tap play to hear it, say it into your mic for a free clarity check, and fix the "DRAWT" habit for good.
drought
/draʊt/A long period with little or no rain.
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Record yourself saying “drought” and get a real, AI-graded pronunciation score with word-by-word feedback — free, no account needed.The Indian-English Mistake: "DRAWT" — and the Fix
| Aspect | Common in India (incorrect) | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Sounds like | Saying 'DRAWT', 'DROT', or 'DRUFT', reading 'ough' as 'aw', 'o', or trying to sound the 'gh'. | DROWT /draʊt/ |
| Stress | Often on the wrong syllable | One syllable (DROWT). |
How Do You Pronounce "drought"?
"drought" is pronounced DROWT /draʊt/. The stress is on the one syllable (DROWT). As a noun, it means a long period with little or no rain.
The 'ough' is an 'ow' sound (as in 'out') — DROWT, rhyming with 'shout', not 'draft' or 'drot'.
Listen for the stressed syllable and copy its rhythm — getting the stress right matters more than any single sound.
Say "drought" Step by Step
Break the word down, get the stress right, then blend it back together at normal speed. Repeat each step out loud three times.
Break it into syllables
DROWT — say each part slowly and separately first.
Stress the right part
One syllable (DROWT). Make the stressed syllable a little louder and longer.
Nail the key sound
The 'ough' is an 'ow' sound (as in 'out') — DROWT, rhyming with 'shout', not 'draft' or 'drot'.
Blend and repeat
Now say "drought" at normal speed: DROWT. Record yourself and compare.
Minimal-Pair Drills for "drought" (2 Minutes, Out Loud)
Say each drill line aloud, slowly first, then at normal speed. On the last drill, use the mic check at the top of this page to test yourself.
out → owt → DROWT
The vowel is the 'ow' of 'out'.
NOT DRAWT — DROWT
Unlike 'bought', this 'ough' is 'ow', not 'aw'.
Say at speed: "The drought lasted years."
One syllable, rhymes with 'shout'.
Why "drought" Is Tricky — and How to Fix It
Why this happens
Indian speakers expect '-ought' to be 'awt' (as in 'bought'), but 'drought' takes the 'ow' of 'out'.
Tip: Rhyme it with 'shout' and 'out': DROWT, one syllable, no 'gh' sound.
Hear “drought” in a Sentence
Read each line aloud with the same rhythm. The word to listen for is in bold.
The drought lasted two years.
Crops failed during the drought.
Water is scarce in a drought.
Now say it inside a sentence
Getting "drought" right on its own is the easy part. Pronunciation only sticks in connected speech. Read a passage aloud and get scored on accuracy and pace, word by word — free, no login.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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