enough
ENOUGH scores 10 points in Scrabble and ranks 244 in word frequency, with a six-letter spelling that ends in the tricky -OUGH.
Determiner 1 meaning
Sufficient; all that is required, needed, or appropriate.
“I've already had enough coffee today.”
Adverb 3 meanings
Sufficiently.
“Those pears aren't ripe enough for the children to eat (them).”
Fully; quite; used after adjectives to express slight augmentation of the positive degree, and sometimes equivalent to very.
“He is ready enough to accept the offer.”
Used after certain adverbs to emphasise that a quality is notable, unexpected, etc.
“Talking of Mr Smith, funnily enough, I saw him just the other day.”
Pronoun 1 meaning
A sufficient or adequate number, amount, etc.
“I have enough (of it) to keep me going.”
Interjection 1 meaning
Stop! Don't do that any more! It is too much!
“Near-synonyms: please, cut it out, knock it off, shut up, STFU”
Etymology
From Middle English ynogh, from Old English ġenōg (“enough”), from Proto-Germanic *ganōgaz (“enough”) (compare Scots eneuch, West Frisian genôch, Dutch genoeg, German genug, Low German (ge)noog, Danish nok, Swedish nog, Icelandic nógur), from *ganuganą 'to suffice' (compare Old English ġeneah), or from *ga- + an unattested *nōgaz, probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eh₂nó(n)ḱe (“he has reached, attained”), perfective of *h₂neḱ- (“to reach”) (compare Old Irish tánaic (“he arrived”), Latin nancisci (“to get”), Albanian kënaq (“to please, satisfy”)).
Similar and opposite words
ENOUGH means sufficiently, and it also works to stress an adjective, as in good enough. With a count of 376,973 it is one of the most-used words you will meet. The spelling is its real story, since -OUGH is pronounced in several unrelated ways across English.
ENOUGH in brief
- It has six letters: E, N, O, U, G, H.
- Tiles add up to 10, and the H alone brings 4.
- ANOUGH is the one valid neighbour; no anagrams exist.
- Frequency rank is 244, Zipf score 5.54.
Why does ENOUGH not rhyme with THROUGH?
The -OUGH spelling stands for many sounds. In ENOUGH it sounds like -uff, as in TOUGH. In THOUGH it is -oh, and in THROUGH it is -oo, so three similar endings give three different rhymes.
Judged by spelling, THROUGH, THOUGH, ALTHOUGH, TOUGH and LAUGH all share the -UGH tail. Judged by ear, only TOUGH truly rhymes with ENOUGH, which is why rhyme puzzles punish anyone who trusts the letters.
How does ENOUGH score on the board?
E1, N1, O1, U1, G2 and H4 total 10. The H is the only heavy tile, so give it the premium square: doubling it adds 4 extra points. Nothing else in the word rewards a bonus tile.
Four of the six tiles are 1-pointers, so the word slots into a crowded lane without opening a big reply for your opponent. It uses E, O and U together, which also clears three vowels from a heavy rack.
The word takes no common hooks, so plan for a single use rather than a lane you can extend.
How rare is the ENOUGH frame?
Among 22,710 six-letter words, 684 begin with E, about 3 percent, and only 474 end in H, about 2 percent. ANOUGH swaps the first E for an A, and you should check your game’s word list before trying it.
Rhymes with enough
All rhymes- THROUGH14
- THOUGH13
- ALTHOUGH15
- TOUGH9
- LAUGH9
- ROUGH9
- THOROUGH15
- COUGH11
- DOUGH10
- BOROUGH13
- BREAKTHROUGH25
- TROUGH10
One letter away
- ANOUGH10
Questions people ask
How many points is enough worth in Scrabble?
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