How to Pronounce Tongue
Definition, meaning, and phonetic spelling
Tongue Pronunciation
tung
Stressed syllable in ALL CAPS · hyphens separate syllables
Syllable Breakdown
tung
1 syllable
What is Tongue?
Your tongue helps you taste, swallow, and chew. You also use it to speak. Your tongue is made up of many muscles. The upper surface contains your taste buds. ...
Definition sourced from MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine
Questions About Tongue
How do you pronounce the word 'tongue'?
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The word 'tongue' is pronounced like the word 'tung'—rhymes with 'hung' or 'sung.' The 'ue' at the end is silent, which tricks a lot of people. Just say 'tung' and you've got it right.
Why is 'tongue' spelled with a 'ue' at the end if you don't say it?
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The spelling comes from Old English and French history, where the 'ue' was kept even though English speakers stopped pronouncing it centuries ago. English has lots of silent letters from these older languages, and 'tongue' is one of the trickiest examples.
What's the difference between 'tongue' and 'tone'?
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'Tongue' (tung) refers to the muscle in your mouth, while 'tone' (tohn) refers to a sound or quality. They sound completely different, so it's easy to keep them straight once you know the right pronunciation.
Is 'tongue' one syllable or two?
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'Tongue' is just one syllable—you say the whole word in one breath without any breaks. It rhymes with single-syllable words like 'rung' and 'lung.'
What does 'tongue' mean in everyday language?
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In plain English, your tongue is the pink muscle inside your mouth that moves around when you eat, talk, and taste things. It's one of the most important muscles for speaking and swallowing.
Are there related medical words that come from the same root as 'tongue'?
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Yes! Words like 'lingual' (relating to the tongue) and 'bilingual' (speaking two languages) both come from the Latin word 'lingua,' which means tongue. Linguists study language because language is connected to the tongue.
How would you use 'tongue' in a sentence?
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You might say: 'The doctor asked me to stick out my tongue during the checkup' or 'I burned my tongue on hot soup.' Both sentences refer to the muscular organ in your mouth.
What's a common mistake people make when saying 'tongue'?
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Some people try to pronounce the 'ue' at the end, saying it like 'tongue-way' or 'ton-gwee,' which sounds awkward. Remember: it's just 'tung,' with the 'ue' completely silent.