# bough

> English word · Noun · IPA /baʊ/ · frequency rank #40,156

## Definitions
1. A tree-branch, usually a primary one directly attached to the trunk.
2. A gallows.

## Etymology
PIE word
 *bʰeh₂ǵʰús
From Middle English bough (“branch of a bush or tree, especially a main branch; limb of an animal or person; something resembling a branch (such as a plant root or branch of a nerve); (figuratively) Christian cross; descendant, offspring”) [and other forms], from Old English bōg, bōh (“tree bough or branch; arm; shoulder”), from Proto-West Germanic *bōgu, from Proto-Germanic *bōguz (“shoulder; upper arm”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂ǵʰús (“arm”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Bouch, West Frisian boech, Dutch boeg, German Low German Boog, German Bug, Danish bov, Icelandic bógur, and distantly with Ancient Greek πῆχυς (pêkhus, “forearm, cubit, etc.”). Doublet of bow ("front of a ship, prow").

## Easily confused with
- **bug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bough-vs-bug)
- **bush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bough-vs-bush)
- **bout** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bough-vs-bout)
- **bugs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bough-vs-bugs)
- **bruh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bough-vs-bruh)
- **bound** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bough-vs-bound)
- **brush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bough-vs-brush)
- **bouts** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bough-vs-bouts)
- **burgh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bough-vs-burgh)
- **bought** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bough-vs-bought)
- **Brough** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bough-vs-brough)
- **brought** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bough-vs-brought)
- **bog** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bog-vs-bough)
- **both** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/both-vs-bough)
- **bong** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bong-vs-bough)
- **borg** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/borg-vs-bough)
- **bosh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bosh-vs-bough)
- **booth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/booth-vs-bough)
- **blush** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blush-vs-bough)
- **bongo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bongo-vs-bough)

## Common misspellings (7)
`bbough`, `boguh`, `bouggh`, `boughh`, `bouhg`, `buogh`, `obugh`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bough