How to pronounce a
Say it like AY. A is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce a. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- AY
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
A pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- AYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
American vs British pronunciation of a
American and British speakers say a in essentially the same way: /eɪ/ in the US and /eɪ/ in the UK.
British respelling: AY.
What does a mean?
- The first numeral symbol of the English alphabet, called ay and written in the Latin script.
- The name of the Latin script letter A/a.
- An unspecified example of (something); the indefinite article.“There was a man here looking for you yesterday.”
- One; used before score, dozen, hundred, thousand, million, etc.“I've seen it happen a hundred times.”
- Used in some phrases denoting quantity, such as a few, a good many, a couple, a little, a bit, etc.“He's a bit thick, isn't he?”
Where does a come from?
The letter name is from Middle English ā, from Old French, ultimately from Latin ā.
Words that rhyme with a
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of a.
Questions about saying a
How do you pronounce a?
Say AY. The American pronunciation is /eɪ/. In British English it is /eɪ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in a?
A is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: AY.
Do Americans and Brits say a the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /eɪ/ and the British form is /eɪ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.