The Letter A
In this lesson, we will learn about all the sounds of the letter A. It is the first letter of the English alphabet. Let's begin.
'A' is the first letter of the English alphabet. It is considered a vowel.
Vowels are sounds that are pronounced without any restriction in the vocal tract. It means we can produce it with the unrestricted flow of air.
Uppercase Form | A |
---|---|
Lowercase | a |
Name | ei (pronounced /ˈeɪ/) |
Common Sounds | /æ/, /eɪ/, /ɑː/, /ɔ:/, /ə/ |
The Letter A: Sounds
Vowels in the English language can have many many sounds. Here we will look at some of its common ones.
Common Sounds
Sound 1: /æ/
'a' sounds /æ/:
b
c
m
Sound 2: /eɪ/
'a' also sounds /eɪ/:
sn
b
g
m
Sound 3: /ɑː/
'a' sounds /ɑː/:
c
b
gr
Sound 4: /ɔ:/
'a' sounds /ɔː/:
c
f
w
Sound 5: /ə/
'a' sounds /ə/:
umbrell
ped
Other Sounds
Sound 6: /ɒ/
'a' sounds /ɒ/:
sw
w
w
Sound 7: /e/
'a' also sounds /e/:
Sound 8: /eə/
'a' also sounds /eə/:
can
v
p
Sound 9: /ɪ/
'a' sounds /ɪ/:
cabb
bagg
pack
The Letter A: Multigraphs
'A' can also appear in combination with other letters (mainly vowels and sometimes consonants). They can create distinct vowels:
ai
'ai' commonly has six sounds:
- /eɪ/
- /e/
- /eə/
- /ə/
- /æ/
- /ɪ/
1. 'ai' sounds /eɪ/:
sn
tr
r
2. 'ai' also sounds /e/:
ag
s
ag
3. 'ai' sounds /eə/:
f
d
h
4. 'ai' also sounds /ə/:
curt
cert
5. 'ai' also sounds /æ/:
pl
pl
6. 'ai' sometimes sounds /ɪ/ in 'ain' when it comes in the final syllable of a word:
barg
mount
porcel
air
'air' sounds /eə(ɹ)/:
ch
p
f
Tip!
'ai' also sounds /aɪ/ in the loanword 'bonsai':
bons
ae
'ae' sounds /eə/:
Tip!
'ae' sounds /eɪ/ in the word 'sundae':
sund
au
'au' commonly has four sounds:
- /ɔː/
- /ɒ/
- /aː/
- /uː/
1. 'au' sounds /ɔː/:
s
l
2. 'au' also sounds /ɒ/:
bec
s
3. 'au' also sounds /a:/:
l
4. 'au' also sounds /u:/:
be
be
augh
'augh' sounds /ɔː/:
c
n
d
Tip!
'au' sounds /əʊ/ in French loanwords:
m
aw
'aw' sounds /ɔː/:
p
str
j
ay
'ay' sounds /eɪ/:
tr
cr
pl
Tip!
'ay' sounds /e/ in the word 'says':
s
ea
'ea' commonly has five sounds:
- /e/
- /iː/
- /eɪ/
- /ɪə/
- /eə/
1. 'ea' sounds /e/:
h
br
thr
2. 'ea' also sounds /iː/:
p
s
t
3. 'ea' sounds /eɪ/:
br
st
br
4. 'ea' also sounds /ɪə/:
id
th
5. 'ea' sounds /eə/:
b
b
ballb
Tip!
'ea' sounds /ə/ in the word
pag
oa
'oa' commonly has two sounds:
- /əʊ/
- /ɔː/
1. 'oa' sounds /əʊ/:
g
b
c
2. 'oa' also sounds /ɔː/:
abr
br
ia
'ia' sounds /ə/:
spec
Egypt
offic
Tip!
aa does not occur in English words, but it is found in some names derived from other languages, such as
The Letter A: Uses
In English:
A is an indefinite article.
A can be used to show grade or quality.
A as a prefix can also mean 'not' or 'without'.
A is also used to show size, such as shoe size.