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In general, the spelling a
+ one or more consonants
shows the vowel / ae / (the vowel sound in bat).
Examples:
am, an, and, ant, apt, as,
asp, at;
bad, bag, ban, band, bash, bat, batch;
cad, camp, can, can't, cap, cash, cast, cat, catch;
chant, chap, chat, clam, clan, clap, crab, cramp,
crass;
dab, dad, dam, damp, drab, dram, drastic;
fad, family, fan, fast, at, flab, flag, flap, flash,
flask, flat;
gab, gad, gap, gas, gash, glad, glamour,
gland,
grab, grad,
gram, grant, grapple,
grasp . . . . . etc.
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Special Notes
| 1. |
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The spelling a
+ one or more consonants
shows / ae / in most
cases, but this is not true
if one of
the consonants is r:
Compare cab / can / cat and car;
Compare camp and carp;
Compare pack and park;
Compare patch and parch.
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| 2. |
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The spelling a + l shows / ae /, but a
+ ll
shows a different
sound:
Compare gal
/ pal and gall / pall.
The same is true for a + l and a
+ l +
(an)other
consonant(s):
Compare Hal (a man's name) and halt.
Compare Sal (a woman's name) and salt.
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| 3. |
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There are also a few common
words with the
spelling
-lm. The vowel before -lm is usually
not / ae
/:
alms, calm, palm.
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| 4. |
|
In
the common words calf and half,
the vowel is / ae
/ (and the l is silent). |
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| 5. |
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The common verb have is pronounced with
/
ae /, but this spelling is an exception to the
general spelling
and pronunciation rules.
Compare have with hale, hate,
and haste.
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