English spellings/Catalogs/A

Â letter = èh? what? (names of letters are usually written as capitals in text: the létter Â, ín B flát mâjor, etc.)

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.

'''Â-sîde

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

àardvark

Ãaron; also Ãron or Áron and now increasingly common is Áaron = Árron = Árran Isle (how soon before the pronunciation of Ãaron Côpland is altered?)

'''ábacus abándoned: not -nned

Ábba, normally lower-case in English (in Swedish, capitalised, an acronym of the band's first names)

Abbàs

Ábbottabad or '''Abbóttabad

ábdomen

abdóminal

Aberdêen

áberrant *ábberant, cf. '''érrant

aberrâtion

Aberýstwýth

abét

abhŏr

abhórrent

âble capable = Âbel person

abòut = a bòut boxing *əbòut

'''abòut-türn

ábscéss (-bsc-)

ábsèil cf. '''sâil

ábsence

ábsent

'''absŏrb

'''absŏrption

abstâin

absténtion

ábstinence

abstrûse -ss

abýsmal -zməl

abýss

ácadême

acadêmia

académic

acádemy

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

áccent áx-

accéntuate -x-

accépt receive əx-, cf. excépt exception íx- (minimal pair)

'''accéptable

áccess noun *áxéss, cf. áxis (minimal pair)

accéss verb *əxéss, cf. excéss, *ixéss (minimal pair)

áccident áx-

accidéntally áx-

áccolade

accómmodate: two c's and two m's

accòmpaniment

accòmpany

accòmplíce person BrE; AmE accómplíce

accòmplísh achieve BrE; AmE accómplísh

'''accoûtrement

Accrà

'''accrédited

accrûe cf. acróss

acërbic cf. '''ascertâin

âche *âke

achìêve

ácmê

acquiésce *ákwì-éss, cf. quiéscent *kwì-éssent, quîet *kwîət

acquîre *aquîre

acquít

âcreage *âkerage

'''ácronym

acróss cf. '''accrûe

áctual *ákchəl

ácûmen *ákyəmən, cf. áccurate *ákyərət

ácupuncture

ádage

adàgio -jô

adaptâtion cf. '''adóption

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, two words

ádjective cf. ejécted

adjöurn

adjúst *ajúst

ád nåusêám

adôbê

'''adóption

adrénalín, '''adrénaline

* adréss '''addréss

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- or = afféct

áffect emotion

afféctive emotional cf. efféctive resultant

áffidâvit

'''áffluent

affrònt cf. '''effròntery

Afghánistān Áf-gán-; Áf-hán- and Áf-wàn- are local pronunciations

Áfghán cf. Áfrican -ən

aficionàdo -físh- or -físsy-

afrâid

África

Afrikàans -ànce

Afrikàner

āfter

āfterthŏught -åwt, one word

āfterwards

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

agâpe gaping

ágapê eros

âge cf. édge: Francophones beware

âged: as in âged 20, pronounced *âyjd; when meaning old before a noun (an âged mán), *âyjíd

âgeing (BrE), âging (AmE), *âjing

âgeist *âjist

âge-ôld hyphenated

agô

ágriculture

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

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 = Éyre Jane; AmE ãir = AmE érr, cf. BrE ërr *üh

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

aîsle walking space = îsle island

Âix France = âches ache

aj-: most words that sound as if they start like this actually have adj-

Ajáccio *Azháxio

Àjax Amsterdam *Àyáx

Âjax person

áka or ákà (can be capitals), acronym of ålso knôwn as

Ál Alan, etc. cf. åll ''total

Ál Arabic may be hyphenated to following capital-letter word in Arabic name; may also be ál

'''à là

Alabáma (Á): one m, cf. Montána, '''Louisiána

Aláddin

Álan (usually a given name) = Állen (usually a surname) = Állan (least common)

alás

Albânia (Á)

Ålbany

'''albêdo

Álbert

'''albìno

Albuquërquê *Álbə-kïrky

Åldwých

âle beer = âil ailing

Álfred

álgaê *áljê or *álgy

'''Algàrve

álgorithm rhymes with '''rhýthm

Áli person = álley walk, except Muhámmad Alì *Àh-lêe boxer

âlias *âlius

álibî

Álíce

âlien

alienâtion

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

alîgned *allîned, cf. állied

Álistair = '''Álastair

alîve

åll every = åwl tool, cf. Ál a name

allegâtions *allogations

allége cf. lédge, etc.

alléged *aléjd

allégedly *aléjidly

'''allêle

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

åll-stàr is an adjective, so needs hyphen

allûde əl-, cf. elûde, əl- or íl-

allûsion, əl-, cf. illûsion, íl-

állŷ friend cf. állêy, alîgn

allŷ verb, cf. Álì person

ålmanac

àlmond *àhmond

ålmost

àlms gift = BrE àrms body, weapons

'''alône

alóngside one word

alòud audible = allòwed permitted

Aloýsius *Aləwíshəss

ál-Qàêda with lowercase initial a, a hyphen, no apostrophe after the à—rarely does one hear an anglophone sound the glottal stop that is present here in the Arabic—and ê instead of ì is perhaps the most common spelling nowadays, pronounced *al-Qŷda

alréady before = åll réady ready

alrîght = åll rîght: the single-word form presumably arose by analogy with alréady and ålways, but it is widely regarded as unacceptable: does it mean all correct, or satisfactory? "Their answers were alright" would appear to be an incorrect rendering of "their answers were all right/all correct", but it may merely mean "their answers were acceptable", and it is this needless ambiguity that gains the one-word version its detractors

Alsâtian

ålso

ålter change = åltar church

álter êgo

* altêrior '''ultêrior

altërnate adjective

ålternâte verb

altërnative

althôugh *åldhô

'''áltruism

alumínium BrE; AmE alûminum

alvêolar

ålways  ever cf. áll wâys ''methods, styles

ám be

âm ante meridian *â-ém

ámateur *ámətər; AmE can be amateûr

ambássador cf. '''émbassy

ámbergrìs BrE, AmE ámbergrís; s may be silent

'''ambíguous

'''ambigûity

ambítious *ámbíshəss

amén BrE à, AmE '''â

'''amênable

aménd cf. '''comménd

aménds make = eménds alters

amênity, AmE also '''aménity

âmìable cf. '''âim

ámícable

ammunítion *ámyù-níshən

'''ámnesty

amók cf. amúck, same meaning

amòng

amòunt

an *ən: version of a before a consonant

anáchronism -nákr-

'''ânal

ánalŷse verb *ánnəlîze

ánalŷses verb and análysês noun *ənáləssêez are homographs; the first is the third person singular present tense of the verb, the second the plural of the noun

análysis noun *ənáləssís

ánalýst

ánarchy *ánəkỳ

'''anáthema

áncestor

ánchor -nk-

ánchovy -ntsh-

âncient

áncillãry AmE, BrE '''ancíllary

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

andántè

Ándês

Andêan

'''Ándhra Pradésh

ánd ŏr ('and/or') is nowadays spoken and can be sometimes seen without the stroke inbetween Andórra BrE, AmE -ŏrr-, cf. Pandŏra

'''Andrómeda

Ándreŵ

anémonê cf. an énemy

ângel *ânjəl, cf. '''ángle

ánger BrE *áng-gə

angîna *án-jînə

'''Ánglia

'''ánglophone

'''Ánglo-Sáxon

ángry *áng-gry

ángst

Anguílla -gwí- Anguíllan -gwí-

'''ánimè

ánimus cf. ûnánimous

áníse cf. Álíce (minimal pair)

Ánkara

ánnals cf. ánalyst

annéx verb

ánnex or ánnexe noun

annîhilate *annîyílâte

annúl cf. '''ánnal

anŏint cf. '''annòunce

anómaly

ánonýmity

anónymous

'''anoréxia

anòther one word

'''Ánschlùss

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

antágonîse, -ísm, -'''íst

Antananarìvo *Antána-narìvo

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

'''antisemític

antisémitism (some prefer 'anti-Semitism', but what, then, is 'Semitism'?)

Ántón, cf. Ánthony, '''Ántony

anxîety *angzîety

ánxious *ángkshəss or *ángshəss

any thing é-, cf. Ánnie person

anybody *énnybódy one word

any mŏre, anymŏre *énny-mŏre: the one-word form is American English

anyone anybody *énnywún, one word; otherwise two: any òne îtem, where òne is a numeral: cf. '''any thrêe óptions

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

apâce fast = a pâce  step

apàrt separate = a pàrt section, hence apàrt from and  a pàrt of

apàrtheîd -tîte or -tâte

apéritìf either stressed

aphêlion *əfêliən, *əp-hêliən

'''âphid

apìêce each one word = a pìêce part

'''aplénty

apócalypse

apócryphal, cf. êpoch -óc, '''crýpt

apólogîse verb

apólogíes plural noun

* apón '''upón

apóstasy

'''apóstate

'''apóstle

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 it can sound plural, ‘apperators’, like óperators); AmE '''apparátus

appárel

'''appárent

'''appêar

'''appêasement

'''appêaser

'''applåuse

* appôse '''oppôse

approval -prû-

approve -prû-

'''âpricot

à priŏrî  two words

àpriŏrísm one word

apropôs *ápropô

'''Aquãrius

'''aquátic

'''áqueous

'''Áquila

* aquîre '''acquîre

A&R *ayənàr

Árab adjective, person, some AmE Ãrab

Arâbian adjective

Árabic language, some AmE Ãrabic

'''àrbíter

'''àrbítrary

àrc circle = Àrk Noah = Àrc ''Joan

àrced arc *àrkt

archâíc *àrkâyíc

archeólogy àrk-

Archimêdês Àrk-

archipélago àrk-

àrchive *àrkîve

àrchivist *àrkîvist, *àrkəvist

arcmínute, arcsécond both one word

Àrctic

àre BrE = '''àh

Àrês Mars, cf. Ãríes Ram, both -z

ãrêa space *ãrêə, cf. ària, '''êra

Argentìna, Àrgentîne, Argentínian = Argentínean Àrj-

àrgil clay, soft '''g

Argŷll Scotland = Argŷle elsewhere, hard '''g

'''àrgue

'''àrgument

ària opera cf. ãrea ''space

'''árid

Ãríes -ríz

árístocrat BrE á stressed, AmE í stressed

'''aristocrátic

Àrk Noah = àrc circle = Àrc ''Joan

Àrkansas BrE -såw, AmE -sà

aròund = '''a ròund

'''arrêars

'''arrést

'''arrhythmic

àrsenal *àrssnəl

'''àrson

'''arrhýthmic

àrt déco or Àrt Déco (may retain French accent on é)

'''àrtefact

artêsian well *àrtêzhən

artifícial ''-shəl

artisán art *àrtizán

àrtist art

artìste stage

'''asbéstós

ascénd: derived words can be spelt with either a or e:

ascéndance or '''ascéndence

ascéndancy or '''ascéndency

ascéndant or '''ascéndent

ascént climb = assént  agree

ascertâin cf. '''acërbic

ÁSEAN or Ásean association *Ássián, cf. Âsian Asia, *Âyzhən

Áshlêy = '''Áshlêigh

Âsia *Âsha or *Âzha

ásinine áss-

'''askānce

áspartâme or '''aspàrtâme

'''Ásperger's

* áspéstóss '''asbéstos

'''ásphalt

'''asphýxiate

áspirin medicine -spr-, cf. aspîring ''aspire

assássin has four s’s

assént agree = ascént ''climb

'''asséss

'''ássét

assîgn *assîne

assignâtion, g sounded

assuâge rhymes with '''wâge

assûme -syûme

assûre AmE -shûre, BrE –shůre

'''ásterisk

'''ásterism

'''Ásterix

ásthma *ássma

'''asúnder

as wéll two words

'''asŷlum

âte AmE; BrE *ét

âthêíst cf. '''aesthétic

at lêast two words

'''átóll

'''âtrium

atrôcious -shəss

'''atrócity

áttaboy one word

attáchè -áshè

attácks = '''a táx

'''attörney

'''Åuckland

auctionêer åukshə-

'''auditǒrium

'''augmént

augúst revered

Åugust month

 Àùng Sán Sûu Kyìi *Òwng Sán Sû Chêe

āunt uncle AmE = ánt insect

au fâit *ô-fây

au fónd *ô-fón, French nasal -'''ón

au pãir, '''ôp-

åural ear = ŏral mouth, though the first may be pronounced àùral to distinguish it

Aus Australia = Óz ''Wizard

Àùschwitz *Òwshvíts

'''åuspices

Aussie Australasian -z- = Óssy = Óssie persons

Austen Jane = Austin car, Texas Ó-

Austrâlia Ó-

Austria Ó-

åutarchy sovereignty = åutarky self-sufficiency

authóritative BrE; AmE '''authŏritâtive

'''authórity

åutism

'''àùtobàhn

'''åutomobìle

åutumn silent n

autúmnal, n sounded

avâil = '''a vèil

'''ávalānche

ávant gàrde (gàrde = guàrd) two words

'''Áviemore

'''avocàdo

avoirdupŏis *ávədə-pŏiz

aẁash with = '''a ẁash

awây = a wây = awêigh

'''åwe

awêigh anchors = awây go

'''åwesome

'''åwful

awhîle adverb = a whîle noun; the one-word form is rarely correct: it may not be used after for, and has a rather poetic feel, typically in utterances such as línger awhîle, stây awhîle; compare: stây for a whîle, ît's OK for a shŏrt whîle, ít háppened a whîle báck, '''ít's bêen a whîle

åwkward *åwquəd

åwl tool = åll total

âwol, '''ÂWOL

'''awrŷ

áxe chop BrE; AmE áx = ácts act (the plurals of áxe/áx and áxis have the same spelling, but different pronunciations, as follows)

áxes axe -íz

áxês axis -êz, cf. '''áccess

áxis spin -íss

áxle car = Áxel person

'''Áxminster

aŷe yes = eŷe see = Î me

'''Aŷn Ránd

Ãyr Scotland = ãir breathe

'''Ãyrshire

Azerbaijàn Ázerbaî-jàn

'''Azéri

ázure -zh-