7. Combination gh

The combination GH at the beginning of the word is always pronounced [g]: ghost, ghastly, Ghana, ghetto, ghoul.

The combination GH at the end of the word may be pronounced [f]: enough, rough, tough, laugh, cough.

The combination GH at the end of the word may be silent: though [thou], bough [bau], plough (BrE) / plow (AmE) [plau], through [thru:].

The combination GH at the end of the word before T is usually silent: bought [bo:t], caught [ko:t], thought [tho:t], drought [draut], night [nait], height [hait], weight [weit], straight [streit]. But GH is pronounced [f] before T in the words draught [draft], laughter.

8. Combination gu

The combination GU is pronounced [g] at the beginning and in the middle of the word: guard, guardian, guarantee, guess, guest, guide, guilt, guitar; argue, regulate, singular, disguise.

The combination GUE is pronounced [g] at the end of the word: catalogue, dialogue, tongue, fatigue, league, vague, rogue. In American English, some of these words may have two variants of spelling: catalogue / catalog, dialogue / dialog, monologue / monolog, prologue / prolog.

The combination GU is pronounced [gw] in some words of Latin and Spanish origin: language, lingua, linguistics, guava, Guatemala, Nicaragua, distinguish.

9. Sound [f]: f, ff, ph, gh

The sound [f] is usually represented by the consonant F, for example: file, full, faint, flame, flick, flight, fly, free, fry, prefer, defend, after, safe, scarf, half, beef, roof.

Double F is usually found in the syllable with a short vowel sound: puff, cuff, cliff, riff, traffic. Double F is also found in the cases where the prefix ends in F and the root starts with F: affirm, afford, differ, effect, offend, offer, suffer, suffix.

The combination PH also has the sound [f]: photograph, physics, phonetics, philosophy, alphabet, symphony, apostrophe.

The combination GH can represent the sound [f] at the end of the word: enough, rough, tough, laugh, cough.

10. Sound [sh]

In English words the sound [sh] is usually represented by the combination SH: she, shine, shark, shoe, rush, fish.

The combination CH is pronounced [sh] in the words of French origin: champagne, chandelier, charlatan, chef, chevron, chic, chiffon, cache, machine.

There are also several consonant + vowel combinations that are pronounced as [sh], namely, TI, CI, SI, SU and they are usually in the suffix or right before it.

The combination CI: appreciate, associate; social, official, special, financial; musician, politician, magician; ancient, efficient; delicious, suspicious, precious, vicious.

The combination SI: extension, expansion, comprehension; discussion, expression, fission, mission.

The combination TI: negotiate, initiate, substantiate; essential, confidential, initial, martial; patient, ambitious, cautious; condition, section, organization.

The combination SU: sugar, sure, sensual, assure, censure, fissure, pressure, issue, tissue.