English spellings/Catalogs/A
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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: the létter Â, ín B flát mâjor, etc.)
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.
Â-sîde
àaah sentiment ≈ àaargh disgust (to both more a's may be added) ≈ àh response
àardvark
Ãaron; also Ãron or Áron and now increasingly common is Áaron = Árron = Árran Isle (how soon before the pronunciation of Ãaron Côpland is altered?)
ábacus
abándoned: not -nned
Ábba, normally lower-case in English[1] (in Swedish, capitalised, an acronym of the band's first names)
Abbàs
Ábbottabad or Abbóttabad
ábdomen
abdóminal
Aberdêen
áberrant *ábberant, cf. érrant
aberrâtion
Aberýstwýth
abét
abhŏr
abhórrent
âble capable = Âbel person
abòut = a bòut boxing *əbòut
abòut-türn
ábscéss (-bsc-)
ábsèil cf. sâil
ábsence
ábsent
absŏrb
absŏrption
abstâin
absténtion
ábstinence
abstrûse -ss
abýsmal -zməl
abýss
ácadême
acadêmia
académic
acádemy
accêde accession ≈ excêed more
accélerate əx-, cf. excél, éxcellent
áccent áx-
accéntuate -x-
accépt receive əx-, cf. excépt exception íx- (minimal pair)
accéptable
áccess noun *áxéss, cf. áxis (minimal pair)
accéss verb *əxéss, cf. excéss, *ixéss (minimal pair)
áccident áx-
accidéntally áx-
áccolade
accómmodate: two c's and two m's
accòmpaniment
accòmpany
accòmplíce person BrE; AmE accómplíce
accòmplísh achieve BrE; AmE accómplísh
accoûtrement
Accrà
accrédited
accrûe cf. acróss
acërbic cf. ascertâin
âche *âke
achìêve
ácmê
ácolŷte
acquiésce *ákwì-éss, cf. quiéscent *kwì-éssent, quîet *kwîət
acquîre *aquîre
acquít
âcreage *âkerage
ácronym
acróss cf. accrûe
áctual *ákchəl
ácûmen *ákyəmən, cf. áccurate *ákyərət
ácupuncture
ádage
adàgio -jô
adaptâtion cf. adóption
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, two words
ád infinîtum, cf. ínfinite, infínitive
ádjective cf. ejécted
adjöurn
adjúst *ajúst
ád nåusêám
adôbê
adóption
adrénalín, adrénaline
*adréss addréss
ádult BrE; AmE adúlt
adúltery
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- or = afféct
áffect emotion
afféctive emotional cf. efféctive resultant
áffidâvit
áffluent
affrònt cf. effròntery
Afghánistān Áf-gán-; Áf-hán- and Áf-wàn- are local pronunciations
Áfghán cf. Áfrican -ən
aficionàdo -físh- or -físsy-
afrâid
África
Afrikàans -ànce
Afrikàner
āfter
āfterthŏught -åwt, one word
āfterwards
again, against: both have -én, but for some speakers there is a regular spelling pronunciation: agâin, agâinst
agâpe gaping
ágapê eros
ággravate
aggréssion
aggriêved
âge cf. édge: Francophones beware
âged: as in âged 20, pronounced *âyjd; when meaning old before a noun (an âged mán), *âyjíd
âgeing (BrE), âging (AmE), *âjing
âgeist *âjist
âge-ôld hyphenated
agô
ágriculture
àh response ≈ àaah sentiment ≈ àaargh disgust (in the latter cases more a's may be added)
Àhmad Jamál
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 = Éyre Jane; AmE ãir = AmE érr, cf. BrE ërr *üh
ãiry light = all four spellings of éyrie = éyry = ãerie = ãery bird, cf. êerie strange
aîsle walking space = îsle island
Âix France = âches ache
aj-: most words that sound as if they start like this actually have adj-
Ajáccio *Azháxio
Àjáx Amsterdam *Àyáx
Âjáx person
áka or ákà (can be capitals), acronym of ålso knôwn as
Ál Alan, etc. cf. åll total
Ál Arabic may be hyphenated to following capital-letter word in Arabic name; may also be ál
à là
Alabáma (Á): one m, cf. Montána, Louisiána
Aláddin
Álan (usually a given name) = Állen (usually a surname) = Állan (least common)
alás
Albânia (Á)
Ålbany
albêdo
albêit *åll bê ít
Álbert
albìno
Albuquërquê *Álbə-kïrky
Åldwých
âle beer = âil ailing
Álfred
álgaê *áljê or *álgy
Algàrve
álgorithm rhymes with rhýthm
Áli person = álley walk, except Muhámmad Alì *Àh-lêe boxer
âlias *âlius
álibî
Álíce
âlien
alienâtion
alîgn = a lîne, cf. állŷ friend, állêy way
alîgned *allîned, cf. állied
Álistair = Álastair
alîve
åll every = åwl tool, cf. Ál a name
allegâtions *allogations
allége cf. lédge, etc.
alléged *aléjd
allégedly *aléjidly
allêle
allelûia or allelûja or allelûya
állêy path = Áli person, cf. állŷ
allîance
álligâtor
allót assign = a lót much; cf. Állott
åll-òut total before noun needs hyphen
allòwed permitted = alòud heard
álloy
åll-stàr is an adjective, so needs hyphen
allûde əl-, cf. elûde, əl- or íl-
allûsion, əl-, cf. illûsion, íl-
állŷ friend, allŷ verb, cf. Álì (= állêy), alîgn (= a lîne)
ålmanac
àlmond *àhmond
ålmost
àlms gift = BrE àrms body, weapons
alône
alóngside one word
alòud audible = allòwed permitted
Aloýsius *Aləwíshəss
ál-Qàêda with lowercase initial a, a hyphen, no apostrophe after the à—rarely does one hear an anglophone sound the glottal stop that is present here in the Arabic (*ál-Qà-êda)—and ê instead of ì is perhaps the most common spelling nowadays, along with the pronunciation *al-Qŷda
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 one-word version its detractors
Alsâtian
ålso
ålter change = åltar church
álter êgo
*altêrior ultêrior
altërnate adjective
ålternâte verb
altërnative
althôugh *åldhô
áltruism
alumínium BrE; AmE alûminum
alvêolar
ålways ever cf. áll wâys methods, styles
ám be
âm ante meridian *â-ém
ámateur *ámətər; AmE can be amateûr
ambássador cf. émbassy
ámbergrìs BrE, AmE ámbergrís; s may be silent
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
ammunítion *ámyù-níshən
ámnesty
amók cf. amúck, same meaning
amòng
amòunt
an *ən: version of a before a consonant
anáchronism -nákr-
ânal
ánalŷse verb *ánnəlîze
ánalŷses verb and análysês noun *ənáləssêez are homographs; the first is the third person singular present tense of the verb, the second the plural of the noun
análysis noun *ənáləssís
ánalýst
ánarchy *ánəkỳ
anáthema
áncestor
ánchor -nk-
ánchovy -ntsh-
âncient
áncillãry AmE, BrE ancíllary
and *ənd, sometimes ánd for emphasis = &
andántè
Ándês
Andêan
Ándhra Pradésh
ánd ŏr ('and/or') is nowadays spoken and can be sometimes seen without the stroke inbetween
Andórra BrE, AmE -ŏrr-, cf. Pandŏra
Andrómeda
Ándreŵ
anémonê cf. an énemy
ângel *ânjəl, cf. ángle
ánger BrE *áng-gə
angîna *án-jînə
Ánglia
ánglophone
Ánglo-Sáxon
ángry *áng-gry
ángst
Anguílla -gwí-
Anguíllan -gwí-
ánimè
ánimus cf. ûnánimous
áníse cf. Álíce (minimal pair)
Ánkara
ánnals cf. ánalyst
Ánnan: second a as schwa, rhymes with cánnon, making a minimal pair with Árran (but widely mispronounced back to front, "Anánn")[2]
annéx verb
ánnex or ánnexe noun
annîhilate *annîəlâte
annúl cf. ánnal
anŏint cf. annòunce
anómaly
ánonýmity
anónymous
anoréxia
anòther one word
ānswer, silent w: BrE *ànsə, AmE *ánsr
antágonîse, -ísm, -íst
Antananarìvo *Antána-narìvo
Antàrctica: first c can be silent
ántê- before = BrE ántì against
anténna
anténnaê BrE = AmE anténnê, though some BrE speakers, perhaps recalling school Latin, say -nàê (-nî)
Ánthony usual = Ántony Mark, -tə-
ántì BrE, AmE ántî against = ántê- before
ántidote
Antìgua -gə
antirrhînum *antirŷnum
antisemític
antisémitism (some prefer 'anti-Semitism', but what, then, is 'Semitism'?)
Ántón, cf. Ánthony, Ántony
anxîety *angzîety
ánxious *ángkshəss or *ángshəss
any some *énny makes a minimal pair with Ánnie person
anybody *énnybódy one word
any mŏre, anymŏre *énny-mŏre: the one-word form is American English
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 separate = a pàrt section, hence apàrt from and a pàrt of
apàrtheîd -tîte or -tâte
apéritìf either stressed
aphêlion *əfêliən, *əp-hêliən
âphid
apìêce each one word = a pìêce part
aplénty
apócalypse
apócryphal, cf. êpoch -óc, crýpt
ápogêe -jì
apólogîse verb
apólogíes plural noun
*apón upón
apóstasy
apóstate
apóstle
apóstrophê
ápp, abbreviation of applicátion; there is also a surname Ápps
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 it can sound plural, ‘apperators’, like óperators); AmE apparátus
appárel
appárent
appêar
appêasement
appêaser
applåuse
*appôse oppôse
approval -prû-
approve -prû-
âpricot
à priŏrî two words
àpriŏrísm one word
apropôs *ápropô
Aquãrius
aquátic
áqueous
Áquila
*aquîre acquîre
A&R *ayənàr
ár- BrE is ãr- for some AmE speakers: ãrrogant, etc.
Árab adjective, person, some AmE Ãrab
Arâbian adjective
Árabic language, some AmE Ãrabic
àrbíter
àrbítrary
àrc circle = Àrk Noah = Àrc Joan
àrced arc *àrkt
archâíc *àrkâyíc
archeólogy àrk-
Archimêdês Àrk-
archipélago àrk-
àrchive *àrkîve
àrchivist *àrkîvist, *àrkəvist
arcmínute, arcsécond both one word
Àrctic
àre BrE = àh
Àrês Mars, cf. Ãríes Ram, both -z
ãrêa space *ãrêə, cf. ària, êra
Argentìna, Àrgentîne, Argentínian = Argentínean Àrj-
àrgil clay, soft g
Argŷll Scotland = Argŷle elsewhere, hard g
àrgue
àrgument
ària opera cf. ãrea space
árid
Ãríes -ríz
árístocrat BrE á stressed, AmE í stressed
aristocrátic
Àrk Noah = àrc circle = Àrc Joan
Àrkansas BrE -såw, AmE -sà
aròund = a ròund
arrêars
arrést
arrhythmic
àrsenal *àrssnəl
àrson
arrhýthmic
àrt déco or Àrt Déco (may retain French accent on é)
àrtefact or àrtifact
artêsian well *àrtêzhən
artifícial -shəl
artisán art *àrtizán
àrtist art
artìste stage
asbéstós
ascénd: derived words can be spelt with either a or e:
ascéndance or ascéndence
ascéndancy or ascéndency
ascéndant or ascéndent
ascént climb = assént agree
ascertâin cf. acërbic
ÁSEAN or Ásean association *Ássián, cf. Âsian Asia, *Âyzhən
Áshlêy = Áshlêigh
Âsia *Âsha or *Âzha
ásinine áss-
askānce
áspartâme or aspàrtâme
Ásperger's
*áspéstóss asbéstos
ásphalt
asphýxiate
áspirin medicine -spr-, cf. aspîring aspire
assássin has four s’s
assént agree = ascént climb
asséss
ássét
assîgn *assîne
assignâtion *ássíg-nâtion
assîgnment *assînemənt
assuâge rhymes with and ends like wâge
assûme -syûme
assûre AmE -shûre, BrE –shůre
ásterisk
ásterism
Ásterix
ásthma *ássma
asúnder
as wéll two words
asŷlum
âte AmE; BrE *ét
âthêíst cf. aesthétic
at lêast two words
átóll
atône
âtrium
atrôcious -shəss
atrócity
áttaboy one word
attáchè -áshây
attácks = a táx
*attône: atône
attörney
Åuckland
auctionêer åukshə-
auditǒrium
augmént
augúst revered
Åugust month
Åuld Láng Sŷne (from Robert Burns, Scots, "Old Long Since") or ...*Zŷne
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, though the first may be pronounced àùral to distinguish it
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
åutism
àùtobàhn
åutomobìle
åutumn silent n
autúmnal, n sounded
avâil = a vèil
ávalānche
ávant-gàrde (gàrde = guàrd) hyphenated
Áviemore
avocàdo
avoirdupŏis *ávədə-pŏiz
aẁash with = a ẁash
awây = a wây = awêigh
åwe amaze = BrE ŏr, etc.
awêigh anchors = awây go
åwesome
åwful
awhîle adverb = a whîle noun; the one-word form is rarely correct, as it can only be used after a verb, not after a preposition (ín, āfter, fŏr etc.), and also has a rather poetic feel, typically in utterances such as línger awhîle, stây awhîle; compare: stây for a whîle, hê'll bè hêre ín a whîle, a shŏrt whîle, ít háppened a whîle báck, ít's bêen a whîle
åwkward *åwquəd
åwl tool = åll total
âwol, ÂWOL
awrŷ
áxe chop BrE; AmE áx = ácts act (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-
References
- ↑ As exemplified by this BBC publication BBC News, 23 October 2005. Retrieved 1 August 2007.
- ↑ Crossette, Barbara. New U.N. Chief Promises Reforms but Says He Won't Cut Jobs, New York Times, 10 January 1997. Retrieved on 25 February 2008.