You know by now an English word
Can be different seen and heard,
And if you think that I’m not right,
Look, here it is in black and white.

Perhaps you think it’s not so tough
Remembering ‘rough’ and then ‘enough’
Then all at once there comes the blow,
You find that you are not thorough.

I agree that it’s not fair
That ‘here’ is not pronounced like ‘there’,
And ‘meat’ is simply not like ‘great’
It sounds to me a twist of fate.

And just when you have learnt that ‘can’t’
Is said so that it rhymes with plant,
You hear the American ‘can’t’
Ending rather more like ‘pant’!