Vocabulary C1 6 min read Updated 15 June 2026

Quick Answer

Draught (the British spelling; American draft) is a noun meaning a current of cold air, beer served from a cask (on draught), a swallow of liquid, or the board game (draughts). Drought is a noun meaning a long period of abnormally low rainfall and water shortage. They look alike but sound different: draught rhymes with “daft” (/drɑːft/), while drought rhymes with “out” (/draʊt/). Remember: drOUGHT = no water, the long dry “ought”; drAUGHT brings cold air or a pint.

Draught and drought differ by just one letter, yet they are pronounced quite differently and mean completely unrelated things. One is about cold air, beer, and an old board game; the other is about a serious lack of rain. Because the spellings are so similar, they are a classic trap in written English, especially for learners getting used to British spelling.

At a Glance: Draught vs Drought

WordMeaningPart of SpeechCommon Use
draught a current of cold air; beer from a cask; the board game Noun (British; US: draft) a cold draught, on draught, a game of draughts
drought a long period of low rainfall; a water shortage Noun months of drought, a severe drought, drought conditions

Using “Draught”

Draught is a noun, and it is the British spelling of the word Americans write as draft. It has several everyday senses, all connected with currents, drawing, or pulling.

Definition

1. (noun) A current of cold air, especially one coming through a gap: there’s a cold draught coming under the door. 2. (noun) Beer or cider served from a cask or keg rather than a bottle: a pint of draught bitter, please. 3. (noun) A quantity of liquid swallowed in one go: he took a deep draught of water. 4. (noun, plural) Draughts, the board game known in America as checkers. The American spelling for senses 1–3 is draft.

When to use it

  • A current of cold air: a draught under the door
  • Beer from a cask: draught beer, on draught
  • A swallow of liquid: a long draught of ale
  • The board game: a game of draughts
  • Anywhere British English uses what Americans spell draft

There’s a cold draught coming under the door.

A pint of draught bitter, please.

The traveller took a deep draught of cold water.

They spent the rainy afternoon playing draughts by the fire.

Key Patterns

a cold / icy draught: a draught under the door
on draught / draught beer: a pint of draught
a game of draughts: the board game (US: checkers)

Using “Drought”

Drought is a noun with a single, clear meaning: a long period when very little or no rain falls, leading to a shortage of water. It is the word you reach for in weather reports, farming, and discussions of climate.

Definition

1. (noun) A prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, leading to a shortage of water: the drought left reservoirs dangerously low. 2. (noun, figurative) A prolonged shortage of something else: a drought of new ideas, a goal drought. It is pronounced to rhyme with “out,” and unlike draught, it has no alternative American spelling — it is drought everywhere.

When to use it

  • A long dry spell: months of drought
  • A water shortage: drought conditions, a drought warning
  • Its effect on farming: crops failed in the drought
  • Figuratively, a shortage of anything: a goal drought
  • Anywhere you mean a serious lack of rain or water

The drought left the reservoirs dangerously low.

Farmers suffered badly after months of drought.

A hosepipe ban was introduced during the summer drought.

The striker finally ended his long goal drought on Saturday.

Key Patterns

a severe / prolonged drought: months of drought
drought conditions / warning: a drought warning was issued
a goal / form drought (figurative): he ended his goal drought

The Key Difference: Air and Beer vs No Rain

The single most important thing to remember is that draught and drought have nothing to do with each other in meaning — they just look alike. Draught is about cold air, beer from a cask, a swallow of drink, or the board game. Drought is about a long, damaging lack of rain. If the sentence is about a breeze, a pint, or a board game, you want draught. If it is about dry weather and a water shortage, you want drought.

Cold air / beer → draught:

I felt a draught from the window. (= a current of cold air)

No rain / water shortage → drought:

The crops died in the drought. (= a long dry spell)

The pronunciation is the surest guide once you know it. Draught sounds like “draft” and rhymes with “daft” (/drɑːft/). Drought rhymes with “out” (/draʊt/). If you can say the word aloud and hear an “-aft” sound, write draught; if you hear an “-out” sound, write drought.

Common Mistakes

The reservoirs ran dry during the long draught.

The reservoirs ran dry during the long drought. (= a lack of rain, not a current of air)

Close the window — there’s a drought.

Close the window — there’s a draught. (= a current of cold air)

A pint of drought lager, please.

A pint of draught lager, please. (= beer served from a cask)

The farmers prayed for rain after months of draught.

The farmers prayed for rain after months of drought. (= a prolonged dry spell)

Special Expressions and Fixed Phrases

Several common expressions are fixed with draught and cannot be spelled with drought:

  • on draught — beer served from a cask: they have three ales on draught
  • draught beer / lager — beer from a cask rather than a bottle
  • a game of draughts — the board game (US: checkers)
  • draught excluder — a strip that keeps cold air out from under a door

And several are fixed with drought:

  • drought conditions — very dry weather: the region faced drought conditions
  • a severe / prolonged drought — a long, serious dry spell
  • drought warning / order — an official notice about water shortage
  • a goal drought — figuratively, a long run without scoring
Memory Tip

drOUGHT has the long, dry “ought” in the middle — let it remind you of a parched, rainless land with no water. drAUGHT, with its au, brings cold air or a pint of ale. They are spelled almost the same but sound quite different: draught = /drɑːft/ (like “daft”), drought = /draʊt/ (like “out”). Say it aloud: an “-aft” sound means draught; an “-out” sound means drought.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between draught and drought?
Draught and drought look almost the same but mean completely different things. Draught, the British spelling, is a noun meaning a current of cold air, beer served from a cask, a swallow of liquid, or the board game draughts: there's a cold draught under the door; a pint of draught bitter. Drought is a noun meaning a long period of very low rainfall and a shortage of water: months of drought left the reservoirs low. A simple test: if the word is about cold air, beer, or a board game, use draught; if it is about a lack of rain, use drought.
What does "draught" mean?
Draught is the British spelling of the word Americans write as draft. As a noun it has several senses: a current of cold air, especially through a gap, as in a cold draught under the door; beer served from a cask, as in a pint of draught bitter or beer on draught; a quantity of liquid swallowed in one go, as in a deep draught of water; and, in the plural, draughts, the board game known in America as checkers.
What does "drought" mean?
Drought is a noun meaning a prolonged period of abnormally low rainfall, which leads to a shortage of water: the drought left reservoirs dangerously low; farmers suffered after months of drought. It can also be used figuratively for a long shortage of something else, such as a goal drought in sport or a drought of new ideas. Unlike draught, it has no alternative American spelling; it is drought everywhere.
Are draught and drought pronounced the same?
No. Although they are spelled almost the same, they sound quite different. Draught is pronounced /drɑːft/, rhyming with "daft," exactly like the American word draft. Drought is pronounced /draʊt/, rhyming with "out." This is one case where saying the word aloud actually helps: if you hear an "-aft" sound, the spelling is draught; if you hear an "-out" sound, the spelling is drought.
Is it "draught beer" or "drought beer"?
It is always draught beer. Draught beer is beer served from a cask or keg rather than from a bottle or can, and you will see it described as being on draught. The spelling is draught because the word here is the British form of draft, nothing to do with rainfall. "Drought beer" would wrongly suggest beer connected with a dry spell, so it is never correct.
What is the American spelling of draught?
In American English, the senses of draught meaning a current of cold air, beer from a cask, or a swallow of liquid are all spelled draft. So a British "cold draught" is an American "cold draft," and "draught beer" becomes "draft beer." The board game draughts, however, is usually called checkers in America. The word drought is spelled the same in both British and American English.
How can I remember which spelling to use?
Use the sound and the letters as clues. Drought has the long, dry "ought" in the middle, so picture a parched, rainless land with no water. Draught, with its "au," brings cold air or a pint of ale. It also helps to say the word aloud: draught sounds like "daft," with an "-aft" ending, while drought rhymes with "out." An "-aft" sound means draught; an "-out" sound means drought.
What does "on draught" mean?
"On draught" describes beer or cider that is served straight from a cask or keg through a tap, rather than poured from a bottle or can. For example: the pub has three local ales on draught. The spelling is draught, the British form of draft, because the phrase is about how the drink is drawn and served. It has nothing to do with drought, which is about a lack of rain.
Can "drought" be used figuratively?
Yes. As well as describing a literal shortage of rain, drought is often used figuratively for any prolonged shortage. In sport you might read about a striker's goal drought, meaning a long run without scoring, and in other contexts about a drought of new ideas or a drought of investment. In each case the idea is a lengthy lack of something, so the spelling remains drought, never draught.
What is a "draught excluder"?
A draught excluder is a strip or device, often placed along the bottom of a door, that stops cold air from coming in through the gap. Here draught means a current of cold air, so the spelling is draught, the British form of draft. The phrase has nothing to do with drought, which is about dry weather, so a "drought excluder" would not make sense.

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