Tounge vs. Tongue — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on August 22, 2023
"Tounge" is an incorrect spelling; the right spelling is "tongue", referring to the muscular organ inside the mouth.
Which is correct: Tounge or Tongue
How to spell Tongue?
Tounge
Incorrect Spelling
Tongue
Correct Spelling
Difference Between Tounge and Tongue
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Tongue" has the same structure as "sponge", where 'o' comes before 'u'.
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Aug 22, 2023
Visualize the word as a seesaw, where 'o' is higher and comes first, then 'u'.
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Aug 22, 2023
Think of the word "long"; both "long" and "tongue" have the 'o' before the 'u'.
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Aug 22, 2023
Remember, "Your tongue can't go under ('ou') but over ('o' then 'u')."
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Aug 22, 2023
"Tounge" might seem right but "tongue" is the tight choice.
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Aug 22, 2023
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Definitions
Tongue
The fleshy, movable, muscular organ in the mouth used for tasting and speaking.
She burnt her tongue on the hot soup.
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Aug 22, 2023
Tongue
A specific way of speaking or expressing oneself.
Poetry is a different tongue of emotions.
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Aug 22, 2023
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Tongue
A long, narrow strip of land extending into a body of water.
The tongue of the beach was a popular spot for evening walks.
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Aug 22, 2023
Tongue
The protruding part of a shoe under the laces.
Ensure the tongue of your shoe fits comfortably.
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Aug 22, 2023
Tongue
The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical vertebrate. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste.
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Mar 03, 2018
Tongue
The fleshy muscular organ in the mouth of a mammal, used for tasting, licking, swallowing, and (in humans) articulating speech.
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Mar 03, 2018
Tongue
Used in reference to a person's style or manner of speaking
He was a redoubtable debater with a caustic tongue
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Mar 03, 2018
Tongue
A strip of leather or fabric under the laces in a shoe, attached only at the front end.
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Mar 03, 2018
Tongue
The free-swinging metal piece inside a bell which is made to strike the bell to produce the sound.
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Tongue
A projecting strip on a wooden board fitting into a groove on another.
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Tongue
Sound (a note) distinctly on a wind instrument by interrupting the air flow with the tongue
Eugene has worked out the correct tonguing
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Tongue
Lick or caress with the tongue
The other horse tongued every part of the colt's mane
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Mar 03, 2018
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.
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Mar 03, 2018
Tongue
An analogous organ or part in invertebrate animals, as in certain insects or mollusks.
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Tongue
Speech; talk
If there is goodness in your heart, it will come to your tongue.
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Tongue
Tongues Speech or vocal sounds produced in a state of religious ecstasy.
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Tongue
The bark or baying of a hunting dog that sees game
The dog gave tongue when the fox came through the hedge.
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Tongue
The harnessing pole attached to the front axle of a horse-drawn vehicle.
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Tongue
A protruding strip along the edge of a board that fits into a matching groove on the edge of another board.
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Tongue
(Music) To separate or articulate (notes played on a brass or wind instrument) by shutting off the stream of air with the tongue.
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Tongue
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.
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Tongue
This organ, as taken from animals used for food (especially cows).
Cold tongue with mustard
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Tongue
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.
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Tongue
(obsolete) Voice the distinctive sound of a person's speech; accent distinctive manner of pronouncing a language.
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Tongue
(metonym) A person speaking in a specified manner (most often plural).
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Tongue
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).
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Tongue
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.
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Tongue
A projection, or slender appendage or fixture.
The tongue of a buckle, or of a balance
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Tongue
A long, narrow strip of land, projecting from the mainland into a sea or lake.
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Tongue
The pole of a vehicle; especially, the pole of an ox cart, to the end of which the oxen are yoked.
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Tongue
(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.
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Tongue
(geology) A division of formation; A layer or member of a formation that pinches out in one direction.
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Tongue
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.
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Tongue
To protrude in relatively long, narrow sections.
A soil horizon that tongues into clay
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Tongue
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.
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Tongue
The power of articulate utterance; speech.
Parrots imitating human tongue.
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Tongue
Discourse; fluency of speech or expression.
Much tongue and much judgment seldom go together.
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Tongue
Honorable discourse; eulogy.
She was born noble; let that title find her a private grave, but neither tongue nor honor.
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Tongue
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.
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Tongue
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.
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Tongue
A people having a distinct language.
A will gather all nations and tongues.
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Tongue
That which is considered as resembing an animal's tongue, in position or form.
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Tongue
A projection, or slender appendage or fixture; as, the tongue of a buckle, or of a balance.
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Tongue
A point, or long, narrow strip of land, projecting from the mainland into a sea or a lake.
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Mar 03, 2018
Tongue
The pole of a vehicle; especially, the pole of an ox cart, to the end of which the oxen are yoked.
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Tongue
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.
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Mar 03, 2018
Tongue
To modulate or modify with the tongue, as notes, in playing the flute and some other wind instruments.
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Tongue
To use the tongue in forming the notes, as in playing the flute and some other wind instruments.
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Tongue
A mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
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Tongue
A human written or spoken language used by a community; opposed to e.g. a computer language
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Tongue
Any long thin projection that is transient;
Tongues of flame licked at the walls
Rifles exploded quick knives of fire into the dark
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Tongue
A manner of speaking;
He spoke with a thick tongue
She has a glib tongue
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Tongue
Metal striker that hangs inside a bell and makes a sound by hitting the side
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FAQs
What is the verb form of Tongue?
The verb form is "to tongue", which can mean to articulate or to use the tongue in a specific way, like when playing a wind instrument.
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Aug 22, 2023
Why is it called Tongue?
The term "tongue" originates from the Old English "tunge" which means the organ of speech.
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Aug 22, 2023
Which preposition is used with Tongue?
"Of" is commonly used with tongue, as in "tongue of a shoe" or "mother tongue."
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Aug 22, 2023
Is Tongue a negative or positive word?
"Tongue" is neutral; it's neither negative nor positive.
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Aug 22, 2023
Is Tongue a countable noun?
Yes, it can be countable (e.g., the tongues of many animals).
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Aug 22, 2023
Which conjunction is used with Tongue?
No specific conjunction is exclusively used with "tongue"; any could be used depending on the context.
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Aug 22, 2023
Is Tongue an abstract noun?
Not primarily. "Tongue" refers to a physical organ, but when referring to a language, it can be considered abstract.
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Aug 22, 2023
What is another term for Tongue?
Another term for "tongue" can be "lingua" or "language" (in the context of spoken languages).
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Aug 22, 2023
Which determiner is used with Tongue?
Any determiner can be used depending on the context, such as "my," "a," "the," etc.
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Aug 22, 2023
Is the Tongue term a metaphor?
"Tongue" itself isn't a metaphor, but it can be used metaphorically, as in "the tongue of a bell."
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Aug 22, 2023
Is the word “Tongue” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Tongue" can be either, depending on the sentence structure.
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Aug 22, 2023
How do we divide Tongue into syllables?
"Tongue" is a single syllable and cannot be further divided.
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Aug 22, 2023
What is the opposite of Tongue?
There isn't a direct opposite, but in terms of anatomy, one could contrast it with "roof of the mouth."
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Aug 22, 2023
What is the second form of Tongue?
As a verb, the second form is "tongued."
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Aug 22, 2023
How is Tongue used in a sentence?
"She burned her tongue on the hot coffee."
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Aug 22, 2023
Is Tongue a noun or adjective?
"Tongue" is primarily a noun, though it can be used as an adjective in some contexts (e.g., "tongue-tie").
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Aug 22, 2023
Is Tongue a vowel or consonant?
"Tongue" is a word, not a single letter. Therefore, it's neither a vowel nor a consonant.
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Aug 22, 2023
Which article is used with Tongue?
Both "a" and "the" can be used with "tongue," depending on the context.
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What is a stressed syllable in Tongue?
The entire word "tongue" is stressed as it's a single syllable.
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Aug 22, 2023
Author Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
