English spellings/Catalogs/A

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This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with A. To see a different letter (or the main page) navigate with the table at the top.

A
Â letter = èh? what? (names of letters are usually written as capitals in text)

a article *ə: schwa. It can be a strong form â, like the name of the letter Â, but habitual use, beloved of politicians and the like, sounds pompous; it can however be used for emphasis, meaning 'one', as for example of a tennis player trailing 4-6 2-0: At lêast hê lêads ín â sét.

àaah sentiment ≈ àaargh disgust (more a's may be added) ≈ àh response

àardvark

Ãaron - also Ãron or Áron and now some say Áaron = Árran Isle àh response ≈ àaah sentiment ≈ àaargh disgust (in the latter cases more a's may be added)

abándoned - not -nned

Abbàs

ábdomen

abdóminal

Aberdêen

Aberýstwýth

aberrâtion

abét

abhŏr

abhórrent

âble capable = Âbel person

abòut *əbòut

'''abòut-türn

ábscess

ábsèil cf. '''sâil

ábsence

abstâin

absténtion

ábstinence

abýsmal -zməl

abýss

ácadême

acádemy

académic

accélerate ax-, cf. excél, '''éxcellent

áccent áx-

accéntuate -x-

accépt receive -x-, cf. excépt exception

áccess *áxéss, cf. áxis, '''áxês

áccident áx-

accidéntally áx-

áccolade

accómmodate - two c's and two m's

accòmpany

accòmplíce person BrE; AmE accómplíce

accòmplísh achieve BrE; AmE accómplísh

Accrà

accrûe cf. acróss

acërbic

âche *âke

achìêve

ácmê

acquiésce *aquìéss, cf. quiéscent *kwìéssent, quîet *kwîət

acquîre *aquîre

acquít

âcreage *âkerage

acróss cf. '''accrûe

áctual *ákchəl

ácûmen cf. '''áccurate

ácupuncture

ádage

adàgio -jô

ádd more = ád advertisement

Áddis Ábaba

ádditive

addíctive

addréss BrE = a dréss; AmE '''áddress

adhêre (d and h pronounced separately)

adhêsive (d and h pronounced separately)

ád hóc

ádjective cf. ejécted

adjöurn

adjúst *ajúst

ád nåusêám

adôbê

adrénalín, '''adrénaline

advānce

ádvent

advénture

ádversary -vəsrỳ or '''advërsary

ádvërt

ádvertise never -îze

advërtísement BrE; AmE '''ádvertîsement

advîce noun -ss

advîse verb pronounced but never spelt -îze

advîser = advîsor (alternatives)

Aêgêan *Êjêən

ãerial air = Ãriel ''person

ãerie bird = ãiry light and = variant spellings of bird: ãerie = éyrie = '''éyry

ãeroplane BrE; AmE '''ãirplane

Aêschylus BrE; AmE Êschylus *Êeskiləss

aêsthétics AmE ê-

afféct alter cf. efféct result í-

áffect emotion

afféctive emotional cf. efféctive resultant

áffidâvit

affrònt cf. '''effròntery

Afghánistān - internationally, Afgán- (though locally, Afhán-)

aficionàdo

afrâid

África

Afrikàans -ànce

Afrikàner

āfter

āfterthŏught -åwt - one word

āfterwards

again, against both have é, but for some speakers there is a regular spelling pronunciation: agâin, '''agâinst

agâpe gaping

ágapê eros

âge cf. édge: Francophones beware

âgeing *âging, *âjing

âgeist

agô

ágriculture

âid help = âide assistant; Âids or ÂIDS disease = âids, âides plurals

Âids or ÂIDS disease = âids, âides plurals

ãir breathe = Ãyr Scotland = ére before = é’er ever = héir estate; AmE ãir = AmE érr, cf. BrE ërr *üh

ãiry light = all four spellings of éyrie = éyry = ãerie = ãery bird, cf. êerie strange

Âix France = âches ache

alîgn = a lîne, cf. állŷ friend, állêy way

aîsle walking space = îsle island

Ajáccio *Azháxio

Àjax Amsterdam *Àyáx

Âjax person

Ál person cf. åll ''total

Alabáma one m, cf. Montána, '''Louisiána

Aláddin

Álan = Àllen = '''Àllan

alás

Ålbany cf. '''Álbânia

Álbert

Albuquërquê *Albəkïrky

Åldwých

âle beer = âil ailing

Álfred

álgaê *áljê or *álgy

álgorithm rhymes with '''rhýthm

Áli person = álley walk - except Muhámmad Àlì boxer

âlias *âlius

Álíce

alîgn = a lîne, cf. '''állŷ

Álistair = '''Álastair

âlias

álibî

âlien

alienâtion

alîgned *allîned, cf. állied

alîve

åll every = åwl tool, cf. Ál a name

allegâtions *allogations

allége cf. lédge, etc.

alléged *aléjd

allégedly *aléjidly

allelûia or allelûja or allelûya

állêy path = Áli person, cf. '''állŷ

álligâtor

allót assign = a lót much

åll-òut total before noun needs hyphen

allòwed permitted = alòud heard

álloy

állŷ friend cf. állêy, alîgn

allŷ verb, cf. Álì person

ålmanac

ålmost

àlms gift = BrE àrms body, weapons

alóngside (one word)

alòud audible = allòwed permitted

al-Qàéda - rarely nowadays on the airwaves does one hear an anglophone attempt to pronounce the glottal stop between the a and e that is present in the Arabic pronunciation of this word: the usual English is *Al-Kŷda

alréady before = åll réady ready

alrîght = åll rîght - same meaning, probably by analogy with '''alréady

Alsâtian

ålso

ålter change = åltar church

álter êgo

altërnate adjective

ålternâte verb

altërnative

althôugh *åldhô

alumínium BrE; AmE alûminum

'''áltruism

alvêolar

ålways 

ám be

âm ante meridian *â-ém

ámateur *ámətər; AmE can be amateûr

ambássador cf. '''émbassy

ámbergrìs BrE; AmE ámbergrís - s pronounced

ambítious *ámbíshəss

amén BrE à, AmE â

aménd cf. '''comménd

aménds make = eménds alters

'''amênity

âmìable cf. '''âim

ámícable

amòng

amòunt

an *ən: version of a before a consonant

anáchronism -nákr-

'''ânal

ánalŷse

análysês plural *ənáləssêez

análysis singular *ənáləssís

ánalýst

ánarchy *ánəkỳ

áncestor

ánchor -nk-

ánchovy -ntsh-

âncient

and *ənd, sometimes ánd for emphasis = '''&

andántè

Ándês

Andêan

Andórra BrE, AmE -ŏrr-, cf. Pandŏra

'''Andrómeda

Ándreŵ

anémonê cf. an énemy

ângel *ânjəl, cf. '''ángle

ánger BrE *áng-gə

ángry *áng-gry

ángst

Anguílla -gwí- Anguíllan -gwí-

ánimus cf. ûnánimous

Ánkara

ánnals cf. ánalyst

annéx verb

ánnex or ánnexe' noun''

annîhilate *annîyílâte

anómaly

ánonýmity

anónymous

anòther one word

ānswer w is silent: BrE *ànsə, AmE *ánsr

Antàrctica first c can be silent

ántê- before = BrE ántì ''against

Ánthony (usual) = Ántony Mark, -tə-

ántì BrE, AmE ántî against = ántê- before

ántidote

Antìgua -gə

antirrhînum *antirŷnum

antisémitism

anxîety *angzîety

ánxious *ánkshəss

any thing é-, cf. Ánnie - person

anybody *énnybódy one word

any mŏre two words

anyone *énnywún, one word

anyway despite, one word, cf. where wây is a noun: any wây yoû loòk at ít

apâce fast = a pâce  step

apàrtheîd (-tîte)

apéritìf either stressed

aphêlion *áfêlian

apìêce each one word = a pìêce - part

apócalypse

apólogîse verb

apólogíes plural noun

apóstasy

apóstrophê

appål - AmE can be appåll

Appalâchia -sh- or -ch- or Appaláchia -ch- (though Delius pronounced it, and his musical work, Appalàkia)

appålling

apparátchik

ápparâtus BrE either stressed (to children  apparatus can sound plural, ‘apperators’); AmE '''apparátus

appárel

'''appárent

'''appêar

'''appêasement

'''appêaser

'''applåuse

approval -prû-

approve -prû-

'''âpricot

à priŏrî  two words

àpriŏrísm one word

apropôs *ápropô

'''Aquãrius

Árab adjective, person

Arâbian adjective

Árabic language

àrc circle = Àrk - Noah

archâíc *àrkâyíc

archeólogy ''àrk-

archipélago àrk-

àrchive *àrkîve

Àrctic - first c may be silent

ãrêa space *ãrêə, cf. ària, '''êra

Argentìna - ''Àrj-

àrgil clay - soft '''g

Argŷll Scotland = Argŷle Plymouth - hard '''g

'''àrgue

'''àrgument

ària opera cf. ãrea

'''árid

Ãries ''-ríz

árístocrat BrE á stressed, AmE í stressed

'''aristocrátic

Àrkansas BrE -såw, AmE ''-sà

'''arrést

'''arrhythmic

àrsenal *àrssnəl

'''arrhýthmic

'''àrtefact

artêsian well *àrtêzhən

artifícial ''-shəl

artisán art *àrtizán

àrtist art

artìste stage

ascént climb = assént - agree

'''ascertâin

ÁSEAN or Ásean - association *ássián, cf. Âsian Asia, *Âzhan

Âsia *Âsha or *Âzha

'''askānce

assîgn *assîne

assignâtion - g sounded

'''ásphalt

áspirin -spr-, cf. '''aspîring

assássin four s’s

assént agree = ascént ''climb

'''ássét

assûme ''-syûme

assûre AmE -shûre, BrE '''–shůre

'''ásterisk

'''Ásterix

ásthma *ássma

'''asúnder

as wéll two words

'''asŷlum

âte AmE; BrE *ét

âthêíst cf. '''aesthétic

atrôcious -shəss

'''atrócity

áttaboy one word

'''attáchè -áshè

'''attörney

'''Åuckland

'''auctionêer åuk-

augúst revered

Åugust month

āunt uncle AmE = ánt insect

au fâit *ô-fây

au fónd *ô-fón, French nasal -'''ón

au pãir, '''ôp-

åural ear = ŏral mouth

Aus Australia = Óz ''Wizard

Àùschwitz *Òwshvíts

'''åuspices

Aussie Australasian = Óssy = Óssie persons

Austen Jane = Austin car, Texas '''Ó-

'''Austrâlia Ó-

'''Austria Ó-

åutarchy sovereignty = åutarky self-sufficiency

'''authóritative

'''authórity

'''àùtobàhn

'''åutomobìle

åutumn silent n

autúmnal 'n sounded

'''ávalānche

ávant gàrde (gàrde = guàrd)

'''avocàdo

avoirdupŏis *ávədə-pŏiz

'''åwe

awêigh anchors = awây go

'''åwful

åwkward *åwquəd

åwl tool = åll total

'''ÂWOL

'''awrŷ

áxe chop BrE; AmE '''áx

áxes plural -íz

áxis spin -íss

áxês plural -êz, cf. '''áccess

áxle car = Áxel person

'''Áxminster

aŷe yes = eŷe see = Î me

'''Aŷn Ránd

Ãyr Scotland = ãir breathe

'''Ãyrshire

Azerbaijàn Ázerbaî-jàn

'''Azéri

ázure -zh-