Tought - Meaning with Definition - Detailed Explanation
There are a lot of confusing words in English. Sometimes they are confusing because of their spelling and sometimes due to their pronunciation. Sometimes the confusion comes from different pronunciations and spellings in North American English, British English, Australian English, and other variants of English that exist. And sometimes words get confused due to their past usage.
Many words that were once used in Old English and Middle English are no longer used today. The ones that are still around have typically changed spelling or pronunciation. If you've ever read an original work of Shakespeare, then you have come into contact with Early Modern English (or sometimes it's called Shakespearean English or Elizabethan English). All three, Old English, Middle English, and Early Modern English are noticeably different from Modern English and contemporary English.
But why does it have to be so confusing today? It's probably due to the blend of Germanic and Latin writing systems mixed with Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and French influences. Since English is a Germanic language and Old English can clearly be seen as a link to German, it's no surprise that the Old English form of the verb "to teach" was "taecan" with the past form "tahte".
All of these changes to the language have led many native speakers of English to be unsure about their own use of the language and about what is correct or incorrect. One great example of this is the difference between the words "taught", "tought", and "taut".
What is the meaning of the English word “Tought”
The word "tought" is incorrect. It's probably a misspelled form of another word, like "taught" or "taut". Even earlier versions of English did not use this spelling. Since most native speakers know the spelling of "taught" from the verb "to teach", due to the fact that it is quite commonly used, when we see someone write "tought" it is most likely either 1) referring to the word "taut", which is less commonly used; or 2) a typo when spelling the word "taught".
Definition of the word “Tought”
The word "taut" is correct, but has a completely different meaning from the word "taught". It means tight or tense, not relaxed or slack. It's especially used when talking about a rope or piece of fabric. Some people might misspell the word "taut" when they write it, and instead write "tought".
Taught or tought - Which Is The Past Tense Of Teach?
The word "taught" is correct. It is the past form and the past participle form of the verb "to teach". The three major forms of this verb are: teach, taught, taught. This makes the verb "to teach" an irregular verb with irregular past tense and past participle forms.
How to spell tought
The correct spelling is either "taut" or "taught", depending on which meaning it has. "Tought" is incorrect, regardless of the meaning. However, if it were a real word in English, it would be a homonym of "taut", "taught", and "tot'.
What is the difference between taught and tought and tough?
Some people may also confuse the correct word "tough" with the incorrect word "tought". In pronunciation these two spellings result in completely different sounding words. The first, tough, sounds like /tʌf/, whereas the second, which is not a real word in English, sounds like /tɒt/.
English Spelling: Taught vs. Tought
All evidence points to the word "tought" being a misspelling, misprint, or other form of mistake in writing. In speech it would be undetectable because our speech is merely represented by the symbols of our writing system and does not actually produce them. Furthermore, English is much less phonetic in its spelling and pronunciation than many other languages. However, in writing it is clear that the correct spelling is "taught", "taut", or "tot".
The word "tot" is also correct. It could be used to speak about young children or it could be used to speak about a dish with potatoes.
Pronunciation of the word “Tought”
Although it's easy to understand why someone might believe the word "tought" is real, it is not. If it were real, it would sound like /tɒt/, similar to the word "thought", but with a different initial sound. In fact, if you see someone write the word "tought", they may have made a mistake when trying to write the word "thought".
Example sentences with the word "tought"
Since "tought" is not a real English word, there aren't any examples with it. However, here are some examples with the words people usually confused it with:
- His mother taught him not to use bad words.
- Before you jump, make sure the rope is taut.
- This house is bigger than I thought.
- Don't leave the scissors on the table. We have a tot running around.
