Lets look at how to practice the /æ/ Vowel sound.
A sound that people seem to like a lot is the /æ/ sound. In IPA, the international phonetic alphabet we use the ash symbol to represent this sound.
This is how it is used and pronounced in IPA.
The most common words with the /æ/ sound are:
- and /ænd/
- have /hæv/
- can /kæn/
- man /mæn/
- cat /kæt/
- hat /hæt/
- back / bæk/
- fact /fækt/
Remember that pronunciation is physical and if you are making mistakes with this sound you need to think about what you are doing physically. It is technically called the “Near-open front unrounded vowel” because our mouth should be open quite wide and our lips are unrounded as we say the sound.
We can see this on the phonetic chart because it is on the bottom row of the vowels, which means the mouth is open, as we say the sounds in that column from top to bottom you can see how the mouth gets more and more open. /i:/, /e/, /æ/.
And it is on the left column because the lips are unrounded, we can see the lips get more rounded as we go from left to right. /æ/, /ʌ/, /a:/, /ɒ/.
Practice the /æ/ sound
To practice the /æ/ Vowel sound I have prepared a text for you that uses this sound a lot in a variety of words. I will read it out loud for you then you can rewind and read it with me.
Max grabbed his backpack and headed out the door. He had a plan to hike up to the mountain pass, despite the fact that it was quite steep and he hadn’t hiked in a long time. He knew it would be a challenge, but he was up for it.
As he walked, he noticed the landscape changing around him. The fields were replaced by jagged cliffs. He paused to catch his breath and take in the view. The mountains towered above him.
Max continued, he had to step carefully, as the path was narrow and treacherous. At one point, he slipped on a loose rock and nearly fell. But he caught himself just in time and continued.
Finally, he reached the pass. He could see for miles in every direction. He sat down and breathed the fresh mountain air. He felt a sense of accomplishment wash over him. He had done it!
As he hiked back down, Max realized that he had pushed himself harder than ever. He felt proud for taking on the challenge and overcoming his fears. He couldn’t wait to tell his friends about his adventure.
Practice the /æ/ sound: Tongue Twisters
- A cat sat on a mat and ate a fat rat.
- The black cat ran fast past the grass patch.
- The happy camper packed a snack of crackers and jam.
- The mad hatter had a chat with a sad rat.
- The jazz band played at the back of the class.
- The bad actor had to practice his craft.
- The blackjack dealer dealt a pack of jacks.
- The mad scientist had a lab full of rats and bats.
- The fat man sat on the back of the flat van.
- The black hat was flat on the matt, like a rat in a hat./æ/ Vowel sound
