Donoghue is a common Irish surname, but it can be a tricky word to spell. The phonetic transcription is /dəˈnɔːhjuː/. The first syllable "do" is pronounced like "duh". The second syllable "no" is pronounced like "noh". The third syllable "ghue" is pronounced like "hyoo". The "gh" sound in Irish is actually silent, and the "ue" is pronounced like "yoo". So, despite its confusing spelling, Donoghue is pronounced like "duh-noh-yoo".
The word Donoghue is of Irish origin. It is a variant spelling of the Gaelic name Donnchadha, which is formed by combining Donn, meaning brown-haired or chief, and cath, meaning battle. Thus, Donoghue can be translated as brown-haired chief or chief of battles.