6 letters · 3 sounds · updated 15 Aug 2026

How to pronounce
"caught"

"caught" is pronounced with 3 sounds across 3 phonics chunks: c · augh · t. Tap each box below to hear the sound, then blend them to read the word.

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What "caught" means

Took hold of something moving, like a ball.

In a sentence: She caught the ball with one hand.

The tricky part

Four letters, 'augh', spell a single sound: /aw/. The 'gh' is completely silent here — a leftover from how English was said 600 years ago.

'Taught', 'daughter' and 'naughty' all use the same silent 'augh'.

Even though 'caught' has 6 letters, it has only 3 sounds — the grapheme 'augh' — one grapheme making a single sound.

How do you pronounce "caught"?

To pronounce "caught" correctly, say each of the 3 sounds in order, then blend them smoothly. This technique — Elkonin sound boxes — is used in thousands of US classrooms following the Science of Reading approach. Here's the step-by-step phonics method:

  1. 1 Say the sound for "c" — then pause
  2. 2 Say the sound for "augh" — then pause
  3. 3 Say the sound for "t" — final sound
  4. ✓ Blend all 3 sounds together: "caught"

Words that rhyme with "caught"

boughtcottcotplotblothotdot

Frequently asked questions about "caught"

How do you pronounce "caught"?
To pronounce "caught", say each of its 3 phonics sound chunks in order — c, augh, and t — then blend them smoothly. Tap the sound boxes above to hear each chunk.
How many sound chunks are in "caught"?
"caught" has 3 phonics sound chunks: c · augh · t. Breaking a word into chunks helps kids decode it one sound at a time using the Science of Reading approach.
What are the phonics sounds in "caught"?
The phonics sounds in "caught" are c, augh, and t. Each chunk represents one distinct sound; together they spell the 6-letter word "caught".
How many letters are in "caught"?
"caught" has 6 letters and 3 phonics sound chunks.
What words rhyme with "caught"?
Words that rhyme with "caught" include "bought", "cott", "cot", "plot", "blot". See the full rhyme-family hub linked below.

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