long a

The term "long a" refers to a specific vowel sound in English, pronounced as /eɪ/, and commonly found in words like "cake" and "rain."

🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:

Definition

A2Phonics

(educational)A vowel sound pronounced as /eɪ/, found in words like 'cake' and 'rain,' often signified by a silent 'e.'

Example

  • The word 'bake' contains the long a sound.
  • Children learn about the long a sound when they study phonics.

B2Linguistics

(technical, UK)A vowel sound in some British English accents, pronounced as /ɑː/, found in words like 'bath' and 'castle.'

Example

  • In some British accents, 'bath' is pronounced with a long a sound as /bɑːθ/.
  • The long a sound in 'castle' is typical of southern England accents.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "long a":

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