Tounge vs. Tongue: Mastering the Correct Spelling
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on March 13, 2024
"Tounge" is an incorrect spelling. The correct spelling is "Tongue," which refers to the muscular organ in the mouth.
Which is correct: Tounge or Tongue
How to spell Tongue?
Tounge is Incorrect
Tongue is Correct
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Key Differences
Remember "GUE" as in "guess" to recall the ending of "tongue."
Visualize the shape of the tongue when saying "U before E."
Think of other words with similar patterns like "plague."
Relate it to the phrase "A strong tongue."
The word "tongue" has "U" before the "E" – think "long U" for "tongue."
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Correct usage of Tongue
He bit his tounge while eating.
He bit his tongue while eating.
The dog's tounge hung out as it panted.
The dog's tongue hung out as it panted.
She spoke in a foreign tounge fluently.
She spoke in a foreign tongue fluently.
I burned my tounge on the hot soup.
I burned my tongue on the hot soup.
The cat cleaned its tounge with a rough texture.
The cat cleaned its tongue with a rough texture.
Tongue Definitions
The fleshy muscular organ in the mouth used for tasting, licking, and speaking.
She burned her tongue drinking hot coffee.
A specific way of speaking or writing; a language.
English is my mother tongue.
The fleshy, movable, muscular organ, attached in most vertebrates to the floor of the mouth, that is the principal organ of taste, an aid in chewing and swallowing, and, in humans, an important organ of speech.
An analogous organ or part in invertebrate animals, as in certain insects or mollusks.
The tongue of an animal, such as a cow, used as food.
A spoken language or dialect.
Speech; talk
If there is goodness in your heart, it will come to your tongue.
The act or power of speaking
She had no tongue to answer.
Tongues Speech or vocal sounds produced in a state of religious ecstasy.
Style or quality of utterance
Her sharp tongue.
The bark or baying of a hunting dog that sees game
The dog gave tongue when the fox came through the hedge.
The vibrating end of a reed in a wind instrument.
A flame.
The flap of material under the laces or buckles of a shoe.
A spit of land; a promontory.
A bell clapper.
The harnessing pole attached to the front axle of a horse-drawn vehicle.
A protruding strip along the edge of a board that fits into a matching groove on the edge of another board.
(Music) To separate or articulate (notes played on a brass or wind instrument) by shutting off the stream of air with the tongue.
To touch or lick with the tongue.
To give (someone) a French-kiss.
To provide (a board) with a tongue.
To join by means of a tongue and groove.
(Archaic) To scold.
(Music) To articulate notes on a brass or wind instrument.
To project
A spit of land tonguing into the bay.
The flexible muscular organ in the mouth that is used to move food around, for tasting and that is moved into various positions to modify the flow of air from the lungs in order to produce different sounds in speech.
This organ, as taken from animals used for food (especially cows).
Cold tongue with mustard
Any similar organ, such as the lingual ribbon, or odontophore, of a mollusk; the proboscis of a moth or butterfly; or the lingua of an insect.
(metonym) A language.
He was speaking in his native tongue.
(obsolete) Speakers of a language, collectively.
(obsolete) Voice the distinctive sound of a person's speech; accent distinctive manner of pronouncing a language.
Manner of speaking, often habitually.
(metonym) A person speaking in a specified manner (most often plural).
The power of articulate utterance; speech generally.
(obsolete) Discourse; fluency of speech or expression.
Discourse; fluency of speech or expression.
(obsolete) Honourable discourse; eulogy.
Glossolalia.
In a shoe, the flap of material that goes between the laces and the foot (so called because it resembles a tongue in the mouth).
Any large or long physical protrusion on an automotive or machine part or any other part that fits into a long groove on another part.
A projection, or slender appendage or fixture.
The tongue of a buckle, or of a balance
A long, narrow strip of land, projecting from the mainland into a sea or lake.
The pole of a vehicle; especially, the pole of an ox cart, to the end of which the oxen are yoked.
The clapper of a bell.
(figuratively) An individual point of flame from a fire.
A small sole (type of fish).
(nautical) A short piece of rope spliced into the upper part of standing backstays, etc.; also, the upper main piece of a mast composed of several pieces.
(music) A reed.
(geology) A division of formation; A layer or member of a formation that pinches out in one direction.
On a wind instrument, to articulate a note by starting the air with a tap of the tongue, as though by speaking a 'd' or 't' sound (alveolar plosive).
Playing wind instruments involves tonguing on the reed or mouthpiece.
(slang) To manipulate with the tongue, as in kissing or oral sex.
To protrude in relatively long, narrow sections.
A soil horizon that tongues into clay
To talk; to prate.
To speak; to utter.
To chide; to scold.
An organ situated in the floor of the mouth of most vertebrates and connected with the hyoid arch.
To make his English sweet upon his tongue.
The power of articulate utterance; speech.
Parrots imitating human tongue.
Honorable discourse; eulogy.
She was born noble; let that title find her a private grave, but neither tongue nor honor.
A language; the whole sum of words used by a particular nation; as, the English tongue.
Whose tongue thou shalt not understand.
To speak all tongues.
Speech; words or declarations only; - opposed to thoughts or actions.
My little children, let us love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
A people having a distinct language.
A will gather all nations and tongues.
The lingual ribbon, or odontophore, of a mollusk.
Any small sole.
That which is considered as resembing an animal's tongue, in position or form.
A projection, or slender appendage or fixture; as, the tongue of a buckle, or of a balance.
A projection on the side, as of a board, which fits into a groove.
A point, or long, narrow strip of land, projecting from the mainland into a sea or a lake.
A short piece of rope spliced into the upper part of standing backstays, etc.; also. the upper main piece of a mast composed of several pieces.
To modulate or modify with the tongue, as notes, in playing the flute and some other wind instruments.
To join means of a tongue and grove; as, to tongue boards together.
To use the tongue in forming the notes, as in playing the flute and some other wind instruments.
A mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
A human written or spoken language used by a community; opposed to e.g. a computer language
Any long thin projection that is transient;
Tongues of flame licked at the walls
Rifles exploded quick knives of fire into the dark
A manner of speaking;
He spoke with a thick tongue
She has a glib tongue
A narrow strip of land that juts out into the sea
The tongue of certain animals used as meat
The flap of material under the laces of a shoe or boot
Metal striker that hangs inside a bell and makes a sound by hitting the side
Articulate by tonguing, as when playing wind instruments
Lick or explore with the tongue
The flap of material under a shoe's laces.
He adjusted the tongue of his sneaker.
A projection on a tool or machine fitting into a groove to produce motion.
The tongue of the buckle secured the strap.
To articulate notes on a wind instrument.
He learned to tongue the notes smoothly on his trumpet.
Tongue Sentences
The snake flicked its tongue to sense its surroundings.
The taste buds on your tongue can distinguish between sweet, sour, bitter, and salty flavors.
The doctor asked him to say "ah" and stick out his tongue.
She rolled her tongue, which is a genetic ability not everyone has.
She could tie a cherry stem into a knot with her tongue.
She stuck out her tongue at her brother in a playful gesture.
The chameleon's tongue shot out to catch the insect.
Singers often do tongue twisters to warm up before a performance.
After eating the spicy pepper, his tongue felt like it was on fire.
The ice cream numbed my tongue, making flavors hard to taste.
He spoke in a sharp tongue, which sometimes hurt others' feelings.
The giraffe's long tongue reached the leaves at the top of the tree.
A healthy tongue is pink and covered with small nodules called papillae.
She had a silver tongue, persuading anyone to see her point of view.
Learning to roll your Rs requires a certain tongue movement.
The medication left a bitter taste on his tongue.
The frog's tongue is sticky, which helps it catch prey.
He could speak in many tongues, making him a valuable translator.
The phrase "tongue-tied" describes being too shy or nervous to speak.
The recipe called for lemon zest to add a tangy taste that dances on the tongue.
A cat's tongue is uniquely designed for grooming its fur.
After running in the cold, her tongue stuck to the metal pole when she licked it.
Tongue Idioms & Phrases
Bite your tongue
To stop yourself from saying something that you really want to say.
I wanted to argue, but I had to bite my tongue.
Slip of the tongue
A mistake in speaking, often revealing something not intended.
His confession was just a slip of the tongue, but it revealed his true feelings.
Cat got your tongue?
A question asked when someone is unusually quiet or reluctant to speak.
You're so quiet today, cat got your tongue?
FAQs
What is the pronunciation of Tongue?
It is pronounced as /tʌŋ/.
What is the root word of Tongue?
The root word is the Old English "tunge."
Which vowel is used before Tongue?
"A" or "the" can be used before "tongue" based on context.
What is the verb form of Tongue?
"Tongue" can be used as a verb, as in "to tongue the notes."
Which preposition is used with Tongue?
"On" as in "on the tip of one's tongue."
Which conjunction is used with Tongue?
Any conjunction can be used depending on the sentence structure.
Why is it called Tongue?
It's derived from Old English "tunge," which means the muscular organ in the mouth.
What is the singular form of Tongue?
"Tongue" is already in its singular form.
Is Tongue a noun or adjective?
"Tongue" is primarily a noun but can also be a verb.
What is the plural form of Tongue?
The plural form is "tongues."
Is the word Tongue imperative?
No, "tongue" is not in the imperative form.
What is another term for Tongue?
"Language" when referring to speech or "lingua" anatomically.
What is the opposite of Tongue?
There's no direct opposite, but contextually, "silence" might be an antonym when referring to speech.
Which article is used with Tongue?
Both "a" and "the" can be used, depending on context.
Is Tongue a collective noun?
No, it's not a collective noun.
What is a stressed syllable in Tongue?
The entire word "tongue" is stressed, as it's one syllable.
What part of speech is Tongue?
"Tongue" is primarily a noun but can also be a verb.
What is the first form of Tongue?
As a verb, the first form is "tongue."
What is the third form of Tongue?
The third form is "tongued."
How do we divide Tongue into syllables?
"Tongue" is a single syllable word.
Which determiner is used with Tongue?
Determiners like "the," "this," or "an" can be used with "tongue."
Is Tongue an abstract noun?
When referring to language, it can be considered abstract; otherwise, it's concrete.
Is the Tongue term a metaphor?
In some contexts, like "the tongue of a shoe" or "a sharp tongue," it's metaphorical.
What is the second form of Tongue?
The second form is "tongued."
How is Tongue used in a sentence?
"She bit her tongue to keep from laughing out loud."
Is Tongue an adverb?
No, "tongue" is not an adverb.
Is Tongue a negative or positive word?
Neutral, though its connotation depends on context.
Is Tongue a vowel or consonant?
"Tongue" is a word containing both vowels and consonants.
Is Tongue a countable noun?
Yes, e.g., "There are many tongues spoken in the world."
How many syllables are in Tongue?
There is one syllable in "tongue."
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
