English spellings/Catalogs/A

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	A	B	C	D	E	F	G	H	I	J	K	L	M	N	O	P	Q	R	S	T	U	V	W	X	Y	Z
Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list
Common misspellings

This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with A. To see a different letter navigate with the table above. The apostrophe is treated as the last letter of the alphabet, after Z.

For a pronunciation key, click on the blue "Catalogs" link below the article title.^[e]

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 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

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

áccess *áxéss, cf. áxis (minimal pair)

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 *ákwì-éss, cf. quiéscent *kwì-éssent, 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 - Á- (locally often 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

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; 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 (Á) - one m, cf. Montána, Louisiána

Aláddin

Álan = Állen = Állan

alás

Albânia (Á)

Ålbany

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 does one hear an anglophone pronounce the glottal stop between the a and e in the original Arabic pronunciation: the usual English is *Al-Kŷda

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 word its detractors

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

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

amók cf. amúck, same meaning

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

angîna *án-jînə

ángry *áng-gry

ángst

Anguílla -gwí-

Anguíllan -gwí-

ánimus cf. ûnánimous

áníse cf. Álíce (minimal pair)

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

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

antisémitism

anxîety *angzîety

ánxious *ánkshəss

any thing é-, cf. Ánnie - person

anybody *énnybódy one word

any mŏre, anymŏre *énny-mŏre can be one word or two

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 from = a pàrt some

apàrtheîd (-tîte)

apéritìf either stressed

aphêlion *áfêlian

âphid

apìêce each one word = a pìêce - part

aplénty

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 elsewhere - 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

àrson

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

áspartâme or aspàrtâme

ásphalt

áspirin medicine -spr-, cf. aspîring aspire

assássin has four s’s

assént agree = ascént climb

ássét

assîgn *assîne

assignâtion - g sounded

assûme -syûme

assûre AmE -shûre, BrE –shůre

ásterisk

Ásterix

ásthma *ássma

asúnder

as wéll two words

asŷlum

âte AmE; BrE *ét

âthêíst cf. aesthétic

at lêast two words

átóll

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 -z- = Óssy = Óssie persons

Austen Jane = Austin car, Texas Ó-

Austrâlia Ó-

Austria Ó-

åutarchy sovereignty = åutarky self-sufficiency

authóritative BrE; AmE authŏritâtive

authórity

àùtobàhn

åutomobìle

åutumn silent n

autúmnal - n sounded

ávalānche

ávant gàrde (gàrde = guàrd) two words

avocàdo

avoirdupŏis *ávədə-pŏiz

åwe

awêigh anchors = awây go

åwful

åwkward *åwquəd

åwl tool = åll total

ÂWOL

awrŷ

áxe chop BrE; AmE áx (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-