English spellings/Catalogs/A
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| 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]
 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
annúl, cf. ánnal
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
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
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
Ãyr Scotland = ãir breathe
Ãyrshire
Azerbaijàn Ázerbaî-jàn
Azéri
ázure -zh-