How to Pronounce the Short A Sound (æ) in English
Master the English short A vowel /æ/ as in 'cat', 'bad', and 'man'. Mouth position guide and practice exercises.
æ
MOTS EXEMPLES
cat
bad
man
hat
apple
ERREURS COURANTES
- Replacing æ with /ɛ/ — 'bat' sounds like 'bet'
- Replacing æ with /ɑː/ — 'cat' sounds like 'cart'
- Not opening the mouth wide enough
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1isolated
æ æ æ
/æ/
Open your mouth wide and push your tongue forward and down. It's between 'ah' and 'eh'.
2word
cat
/kæt/
Drop your jaw — the vowel is wide and forward.
3word
bad
/bæd/
Same wide, forward vowel.
4minimal pair
bat — bet
/bæt / bɛt/
'Bat' — mouth opens wider, tongue lower. 'Bet' — mouth more narrow, tongue higher.
5minimal pair
man — men
/mæn / mɛn/
Feel the jaw drop more for 'man'.
6short phrase
the black cat sat on a mat
/ðə blæk kæt sæt ɒn ə mæt/
Four short A sounds — keep your mouth wide for each one.
EXERCICES ASSOCIÉS
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