Is Ought a Real Word?

Ought is definitely an English word. It is a modal verb that is almost always followed by to + the infinitive form of a verb, as in these examples: They ought to be here by now.

Is ought not proper English?

"Ought not" is not commonly used in American English. The meaning of the note is that 'ought not worry' is correct English, but is not in common use in the US. In other words, some Americans say this, but many do not.

What part of speech is ought?

Definition of ought (Entry 2 of 4) transitive verb.