Try to correctly pronounce these 'highlighted' words.

It is indeed a dreadful language.

1. I take it you already know
2. Of 'tough' and 'bough' and 'cough' and 'dough'?
3. Some falter (but I think not you)
4. On 'hiccough', 'thorough', 'trough' and 'through'.
5. Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,
6. To learn of less familiar traps?

7. Beware of 'heard', a dreadful word,
8. That looks like 'beard' and sound like 'bird'.
9. And 'dead': it’s said like 'bed', not 'bead'.
10. For goodness sake, don’t call it 'deed'!
11. Watch out for 'meat' and 'great' and 'threat'.
12. They rhyme with 'suite' and 'straight' and 'debt'.

13. A 'moth' is not the 'moth' on 'mother',
14. Nor 'both' in 'bother', 'broth' in 'brother';
15. And 'here' is not a match for 'there',
16. Nor 'dear' and 'fear' for 'bear' and 'pear' –
17. And then there’s 'dose' and 'rose' and 'lose';
18. Just look these up, with 'goose' and 'choose'.

19. Now 'cork' and 'work'; and 'card' and 'ward';
20. And 'font' and 'front'; and 'word' and 'sword',
21. And 'do' and 'go'; and 'thwart' and 'cart' –
22. Come, come, I’ve hardly made a start!
23. A dreadful language? Full of tricks?
24. I’d mastered it when I was six!