open front unrounded vowel

{{infobox IPA

|ipa symbol=a

|ipa number=304

|decimal1=97

|x-sampa=a

|braille=a

|above=Open front unrounded vowel

|sound=Open front unrounded vowel.ogg

|imagefile=IPA Unicode 0x0061.svg

|imagesize=150px

}}

File:IPA a Sagittal Section.svg of a vocal tract pronouncing the IPA sound {{angbr IPA|a}}. A wavy glottis in this diagram indicates a voiced sound.]]

The open front unrounded vowel, or low front unrounded vowel,{{Vowel terminology}} is a type of vowel sound used in some spoken languages. It is one of the eight primary cardinal vowels, not directly intended to correspond to a vowel sound of a specific language but rather to serve as a fundamental reference point in a phonetic measuring system.John Coleman: [http://www.phon.ox.ac.uk/jcoleman/CardinalVowels.htm Cardinal vowels]

The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) that represents this sound is {{angbr IPA|a}}, a double-story lowercase a. In the IPA vowel chart it is positioned at the lower-left corner. However, the accuracy of the quadrilateral vowel chart is disputed, and the sound has been analyzed acoustically as extra-open at a position where the front/back distinction has lost its significance. There are also differing interpretations of the exact quality of the vowel: the classic sound recording of {{IPA|[a]}} by Daniel Jones is slightly more front but not quite as open as that by John Wells.Geoff Lindsey (2013) [http://englishspeechservices.com/blog/the-vowel-space/ The vowel space], Speech Talk

In practice, the symbol {{angbr IPA|a}} is often used to represent an open central unrounded vowel.Keith Johnson: [http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~kjohnson/ling110/Lecture_Slides/3_Vowels/Vowels.pdf Vowels in the languages of the world] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192120/http://linguistics.berkeley.edu/~kjohnson/ling110/Lecture_Slides/3_Vowels/Vowels.pdf |date=2016-03-04 }} (PDF), p. 9 This is the usual practice, for example, in the historical study of the English language. The loss of separate symbols for open and near-open front vowels is usually considered unproblematic, because the perceptual difference between the two is quite small, and very few languages contrast the two. If there is a need to specify the backness of the vowel as fully front one can use the symbol {{angbr IPA|æ̞}}, which denotes a lowered near-open front unrounded vowel, or {{angbr IPA|a̟}} with the IPA "advanced" diacritic.

Features

{{front vowel}} This subsumes central open (central low) vowels because the tongue does not have as much flexibility in positioning as it does in the mid and close (high) vowels; the difference between an open front vowel and an open back vowel is similar to the difference between a close front and a close central vowel, or a close central and a close back vowel.

Occurrence

Many languages have some form of an unrounded open vowel. For languages that have only a single open vowel, the symbol for this vowel {{angbr|a}} may be used because it is the only open vowel whose symbol is part of the basic Latin alphabet. Whenever marked as such, the vowel is closer to a central {{IPA|[ä]}} than to a front {{IPA|[a]}}. However, there may not actually be much of a difference. (See Vowel#Acoustics.)

class="wikitable" style="clear: both;" ! colspan="2" \| Language !! Word !! IPA !! Meaning !! Notes
Afrikaans	Standard{{sfnp\|Wissing\|2016\|loc=section "The unrounded low-central vowel {{IPA\|/ɑ/}}"}}	{{lang\|af\|dak}}	{{IPA\|[da̠k]}}	'roof'	Near-front.{{sfnp\|Wissing\|2016\|loc=section "The unrounded low-central vowel {{IPA\|/ɑ/}}"}} See Afrikaans phonology
Arabic	Standard{{sfnp\|Thelwall\|Sa'Adeddin\|1990\|p=38}}	{{lang\|ar\|أنا\|rtl=yes}}/anā	{{IPA\|[ana(ː)]}}	'I' 1st person singular pronoun	See Arabic phonology
Azerbaijani{{sfnp\|Mokari\|Werner\|2016\|p=?}}	Standard	{{lang\|az\|səs}}	{{IPA\|[s̪æ̞s̪]}}	'sound'	Typically transcribed with {{angbr IPA\|æ}}.
Bulgarian{{sfnp\|Ternes\|Vladimirova-Buhtz\|1999\|p=56}} \|	{{lang\|bg\|най}}/nay	{{IPA\|[n̪a̠j]}}	'most'	Near-front.{{sfnp\|Ternes\|Vladimirova-Buhtz\|1999\|p=56}}
Chinese \| Mandarin{{sfnp\|Mou\|2006\|p=65}}	{{lang\|cmn-Hani\|安}} / {{lang\|cmn-Latn\|ān}}	{{Audio-IPA\|Zh-ān.oga\|[ʔan˥]}}	'safe'	Allophone of {{IPA\|/a/}} before {{IPA\|/n/}}.{{sfnp\|Mou\|2006\|p=65}} See Standard Chinese phonology
rowspan="2" \| Dutch	Standard{{sfnp\|Collins\|Mees\|2003\|pp=95, 104, 132-133}}{{sfnp\|Ashby\|2011\|p=100}}	{{lang\|nl\|aas}}	{{IPA\|[aːs]}}	'bait'	Ranges from front to central.{{sfnp\|Collins\|Mees\|2003\|p=104}} See Dutch phonology
Utrecht{{sfnp\|Collins\|Mees\|2003\|p=131}}	{{lang\|nl\|bad}}	{{IPA\|[bat]}}	'bath'	Corresponds to {{IPAblink\|ɑ}} in Northern Standard Dutch. See Dutch phonology
rowspan="11" \| English	Australian{{sfnp\|Cox\|Fletcher\|2017\|p=179}}	rowspan="8" \| hat	rowspan="7" \| {{Audio-IPA\|En-uk-hat.ogg\|[hat]}}	rowspan="8" \| 'hat'	Most common pronunciation among younger speakers.{{sfnp\|Cox\|Fletcher\|2017\|p=179}} Older speakers typically use {{IPAblink\|æ}}. See Australian English phonology
California{{sfnp\|Gordon\|2004\|p=347}}{{Harvcoltxt\|Thomas\|2004\|p=308}}: A few younger speakers from, e.g., Texas, who show the {{sc2\|LOT}}/{{sc2\|THOUGHT}} merger have {{sc2\|TRAP}} shifted toward {{IPA\|[a]}}, but this retraction is not yet as common as in some non-Southern regions (e.g., California and Canada), though it is increasing in parts of the Midwest on the margins of the South (e.g., central Ohio).	rowspan="4" \| Less open {{IPAblink\|æ}} in other North American varieties. See English phonology and Canadian Shift
Canadian{{sfnp\|Boberg\|2005\|pp=133–154}}
Some Central Ohioan speakers
Some Texan speakers
Northern Suburbs of Johannesburg{{sfnp\|Bekker\|2008\|pp=83–84}}	Closer {{IPAblink\|æ}} in General South African English. See South African English phonology
Received Pronunciation{{cite web\|url=http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/case-studies/received-pronunciation/vowel-sounds-rp/ \|publisher=British Library \|title=Case Studies – Received Pronunciation Phonology – RP Vowel Sounds}}	Closer {{IPAblink\|æ}} in Conservative Received Pronunciation. See English phonology
Scouse{{citation\|last=Watson\|first=Kevin\|year=2007\|title=Liverpool English\|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association\|volume=37\|issue=3\|pages=351–360\|url=http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/4011/1/download2.pdf?origin=publication_detail\|doi=10.1017/s0025100307003180\|s2cid=232345844\|doi-access=free}}	{{IPA\|[haθ̠]}}
East Anglian{{sfnp\|Trudgill\|2004\|p=172}}	rowspan="3" \| {{lang\|en\|bra}}	rowspan="2" \| {{IPA\|[bɹaː]}}	rowspan="3" \| 'bra'	Realized as central {{IPAblink\|äː}} by middle-class speakers.{{sfnp\|Trudgill\|2004\|p=172}}
Inland Northern American{{cite web\|author=W. Labov, S. Ash and C. Boberg\|year=1997\|title=A national map of the regional dialects of American English\|publisher=Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania\|url=http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phono_atlas/NationalMap/NationalMap.html\|access-date=March 7, 2013}}	Less front [{{IPA link\|ɑ}} ~ {{IPA link\|ä}}] in other American dialects. See Northern cities vowel shift
New Zealand{{sfnp\|Bauer\|Warren\|Bardsley\|Kennedy\|2007\|p=98}}	{{IPA\|[bɹa̠ː]}}	Varies between open near-front {{IPA\|[a̠ː]}}, open central {{IPAblink\|äː}}, near-open near-front {{IPAblink\|ɐ\|ɐ̟ː}} and near-open central {{IPAblink\|ɐː}}.{{sfnp\|Bauer\|Warren\|Bardsley\|Kennedy\|2007\|p=98}} May be transcribed in IPA with {{angbr IPA\|ɐː}}. See New Zealand English phonology
rowspan="2" \| French	Conservative Parisian{{sfnp\|Ashby\|2011\|p=100}}{{sfnp\|Collins\|Mees\|2013\|pp=225–227}}	{{lang\|fr\|patte}}	{{IPA\|[pat̪]}}	'paw'	Contrasts with {{IPAslink\|ɑ}}, but many speakers have only one open vowel (phonetically central {{IPAblink\|ä}}).{{sfnp\|Collins\|Mees\|2013\|pp=226–227}} See French phonology
Quebec{{sfnp\|Walker\|1984\|p=53}}	{{lang\|fr\|arrêt}}	{{IPA\|[aʁɛ]}}	'stopping'	Contrasts with {{IPAslink\|ɑ}}.{{sfnp\|Walker\|1984\|p=53}} See Quebec French phonology
rowspan="2" \| German	Altbayern accent{{sfnp\|Dudenredaktion\|Kleiner\|Knöbl\|2015\|p=64}}	{{lang\|de\|Wassermassen}}	{{IPA\|[ˈʋɑsɐmasn̩]}}	'water masses'	Also illustrates the back {{IPAslink\|ɑ}}, with which it contrasts.{{sfnp\|Dudenredaktion\|Kleiner\|Knöbl\|2015\|p=64}} See Standard German phonology
Many Austrian accents{{sfnp\|Dudenredaktion\|Kleiner\|Knöbl\|2015\|p=64}}	{{lang\|de\|nah}}	{{IPA\|[naː]}}	'near'	Less front in other accents.{{sfnp\|Dudenredaktion\|Kleiner\|Knöbl\|2015\|p=64}} See Standard German phonology
colspan="2" \| Igbo{{sfnp\|Ikekeonwu\|1999\|p=109}}	{{lang\|ig-Latn\|ákụ}}	{{IPA\|[ákú̙]}}	'kernel'
colspan="2" rowspan="2" \| Khmer	{{lang\|km\|បាត់}} / {{Transliteration\|km\|băt}}	{{IPA\|[ɓat]}}	'to disappear'	rowspan="2" \| See Khmer phonology
{{lang\|km\|បាត}} / {{Transliteration\|km\|bat}}	{{IPA\|[ɓaːt]}}	'bottom'
Kurdish \|Palewani (Southern) \|{{lang\|ku\|گه‌ن}}/gen \|{{IPA\|[gan]}} \|'bad' \|Equal to Sorani (Central) near-front {{IPAblink\|æ}}. See Kurdish phonology
Limburgish	Many dialects{{sfnp\|Heijmans\|Gussenhoven\|1998\|p=110}}{{sfnp\|Gussenhoven\|Aarts\|1999\|p=159}}{{sfnp\|Peters\|2006\|p=119}}	{{lang\|li\|baas}}	{{IPA\|[ˈba̠ːs]}}	'boss'	Near-front;{{sfnp\|Heijmans\|Gussenhoven\|1998\|p=110}}{{sfnp\|Gussenhoven\|Aarts\|1999\|p=159}}{{sfnp\|Peters\|2006\|p=119}} realized as central {{IPAblink\|äː}} in some other dialects.{{sfnp\|Verhoeven\|2007\|p=221}} The example word is from the Maastrichtian dialect.
colspan="2" \| Low German{{sfnp\|Prehn\|2012\|p=157}}	{{lang\|nds\|Daag}} / {{lang\|nds-nl\|Dag}}	{{IPA\|[dax]}}	'day'	Backness may vary among dialects.{{sfnp\|Prehn\|2012\|p=157}}
colspan="2" \| Luxembourgish{{sfnp\|Gilles\|Trouvain\|2013\|p=70}}	{{lang\|lb\|Kap}}	{{IPA\|[kʰa̠ːpʰ]}}	'cap'	Near-front; sometimes fronted and raised to {{IPAblink\|a̝ː}}.{{sfnp\|Gilles\|Trouvain\|2013\|pp=70–71}} See Luxembourgish phonology
Malay \|Kedah \|beras \|{{IPA\|[bəɣaʲh]}} \|'raw rice' \|Considerably more front than in Standard Malay where it is usually central [{{IPA link\|ä}}]. In final syllables that are open ended or end in a glottal stop, it is realised as a back [{{IPA link\|ɒ}}]. See Kedah Malay
rowspan="2" \| Norwegian	Stavangersk{{sfnp\|Vanvik\|1979\|p=17}}	{{lang\|no\|hatt}}	{{IPA\|[hat]}}	'hat'	rowspan="2" \| See Norwegian phonology
Trondheimsk{{sfnp\|Vanvik\|1979\|p=15}}	{{lang\|no\|lær}}	{{IPA\|[læ̞ːɾ]}}	'leather'
colspan="2" \| Polish{{sfnp\|Jassem\|2003\|p=106}}	{{lang\|pl\|jajo}}	{{Audio-IPA\|Pl-jajo.ogg\|[ˈjajɔ]}}	'egg'	Allophone of {{IPA\|/ä/}} between palatal or palatalized consonants. See Polish phonology
rowspan="2" \| Spanish	Eastern Andalusian{{sfnp\|Zamora Vicente\|1967\|p=?}}	rowspan="2" \| {{lang\|es\|las madres}}	rowspan="2" \| {{IPA\|[læ̞ˑ ˈmæ̞ːð̞ɾɛˑ]}}	rowspan="2" \| 'the mothers'	rowspan="2"\| Corresponds to {{IPAblink\|ä}} in other dialects, but in these dialects they are distinct. See Spanish phonology
Murcian{{sfnp\|Zamora Vicente\|1967\|p=?}}
Swedish	Central Standard{{sfnp\|Bolander\|2001\|p=55}}{{sfnp\|Rosenqvist\|2007\|p=9}}	{{lang\|sv\|bank}}	{{IPA\|[baŋk]}}	'bank'	The backness has been variously described as front {{IPA\|[a]}},{{sfnp\|Bolander\|2001\|p=55}} near-front {{IPA\|[a̠]}}{{sfnp\|Rosenqvist\|2007\|p=9}} and central {{IPAblink\|ä}}.{{sfnp\|Engstrand\|1999\|p=140}} See Swedish phonology
West Frisian	Aastersk{{sfnp\|van der Veen\|2001\|p=102}}	{{lang\|fy\|kaaks}}	{{IPA\|[kaːks]}}	'ship's biscuit'	Contrasts with a back {{IPAslink\|ɑː}}.{{sfnp\|van der Veen\|2001\|p=102}} See West Frisian phonology

Notes

References

{{citation

|last=Ashby

|first=Patricia

|title=Understanding Phonetics

|year=2011

|publisher=Routledge

|series=Understanding Language series

|isbn=978-0340928271

}}

{{citation

|last1=Bauer

|first1=Laurie

|last2=Warren

|first2=Paul

|last3=Bardsley

|first3=Dianne

|last4=Kennedy

|first4=Marianna

|last5=Major

|first5=George

|title=New Zealand English

|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association

|year=2007

|volume=37

|issue=1

|pages=97–102

|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282778721

|doi=10.1017/S0025100306002830

|doi-access=free

}}

{{cite thesis

|last=Bekker

|first=Ian

|title=The vowels of South African English

|type=Ph.D.

|publisher=North-West University, Potchefstroom

|year=2008

|url=http://dspace.nwu.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10394/2003/phdmain.pdf?sequence=1

}}

{{citation

|last=Boberg

|first=Charles

|author-link=Charles Boberg

|year=2005

|title=The Canadian shift in Montreal

|journal=Language Variation and Change

|volume=17

|issue=2

|pages=133–154

|doi=10.1017/s0954394505050064

|s2cid=144832847

}}

{{citation

|last=Bolander

|first=Maria

|year=2001

|title=Funktionell svensk grammatik

|edition=1st

|publisher=Liber AB

|isbn=9789147050543

}}

{{citation

|last1=Collins

|first1=Beverley

|last2=Mees

|first2=Inger M.

|year=2003

|orig-year=First published 1981

|title=The Phonetics of English and Dutch

|edition=5th

|place=Leiden

|publisher=Brill Publishers

|isbn=978-9004103405

}}

{{citation

|last1=Collins

|first1=Beverley

|last2=Mees

|first2=Inger M.

|year=2013

|orig-year=First published 2003

|title=Practical Phonetics and Phonology: A Resource Book for Students

|edition=3rd

|publisher=Routledge

|isbn=978-0-415-50650-2

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=faVJTQIw9eQC

}}

{{citation

|last1=Cox

|first1=Felicity

|last2=Fletcher

|first2=Janet

|year=2017

|orig-year=First published 2012

|title=Australian English Pronunciation and Transcription

|edition=2nd

|publisher=Cambridge University Press

|isbn=978-1-316-63926-9

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZBs3DwAAQBAJ

}}

{{citation

|author1=Dudenredaktion

|last2=Kleiner

|first2=Stefan

|last3=Knöbl

|first3=Ralf

|year=2015

|orig-year=First published 1962

|title=Das Aussprachewörterbuch

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T6vWCgAAQBAJ

|language=de

|edition=7th

|location=Berlin

|publisher=Dudenverlag

|isbn=978-3-411-04067-4

}}

{{citation

|last=Engstrand

|first=Olle

|year=1999

|chapter=Swedish

|title=Handbook of the International Phonetic Association: A Guide to the usage of the International Phonetic Alphabet.

|place=Cambridge

|publisher=Cambridge University Press

|isbn=978-0-521-63751-0

|pages=140–142

}}

{{citation

|last1=Gilles

|first1=Peter

|last2=Trouvain

|first2=Jürgen

|year=2013

|title=Luxembourgish

|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association

|volume=43

|issue=1

|pages=67–74

|doi=10.1017/S0025100312000278

|doi-access=free

}}

{{citation

|last=Gordon

|first=Matthew J.

|editor-last=Schneider

|editor-first=Edgar W.

|editor2-last=Burridge

|editor2-first=Kate

|editor3-last=Kortmann

|editor3-first=Bernd

|editor4-last=Mesthrie

|editor4-first=Rajend

|editor5-last=Upton

|editor5-first=Clive

|year=2004

|title=A handbook of varieties of English

|chapter=The West and Midwest: phonology

|volume=1: Phonology

|publisher=Mouton de Gruyter

|pages=338–351

|isbn=978-3-11-017532-5

}}

{{citation

|last1=Gussenhoven

|first1=Carlos

|last2=Aarts

|first2=Flor

|year=1999

|title=The dialect of Maastricht

|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association

|volume=29

|issue=2

|pages=155–166

|doi=10.1017/S0025100300006526

|s2cid=145782045

|url=http://gep.ruhosting.nl/carlos/gussenhoven_aarts.pdf

}}

{{citation

|last1=Heijmans

|first1=Linda

|last2=Gussenhoven

|first2=Carlos

|year=1998

|title=The Dutch dialect of Weert

|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association

|volume=28

|issue=1–2

|pages=107–112

|doi=10.1017/S0025100300006307

|s2cid=145635698

|url=http://gep.ruhosting.nl/carlos/weert.pdf

}}

{{citation

|last=Ikekeonwu

|first=Clara

|year=1999

|chapter=Igbo

|pages=108–110

|title=Handbook of the International Phonetic Association

|isbn=978-0-521-63751-0

}}

{{citation

|last=Jassem

|first=Wiktor

|year=2003

|title=Polish

|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association

|volume=33

|issue=1

|pages=103–107

|doi=10.1017/S0025100303001191

|doi-access=free

}}

{{citation

|last=Ladefoged

|first=Peter

|year=1999

|title=American English

|journal=Handbook of the International Phonetic Association (Cambridge Univ. Press)

|pages=41–44

}}

{{citation

|last1=Mokari

|first1=Payam Ghaffarvand

|last2=Werner

|first2=Stefan

|year=2016

|title=An acoustic description of spectral and temporal characteristics of Azerbaijani vowels

|editor-last=Dziubalska-Kolaczyk

|editor-first=Katarzyna

|journal=Poznań Studies in Contemporary Linguistics

|volume=52

|issue=3

|doi=10.1515/psicl-2016-0019

|s2cid=151826061

}}

{{cite thesis

|last=Mou

|first=Xiaomin

|date=2006

|title=Nasal codas in Standard Chinese: a study in the framework of the distinctive feature theory

|type=PhD

|place=Massachusetts

|publisher=Massachusetts Institute of Technology

|hdl=1721.1/35283

}}

{{citation

|last=Peters

|first=Jörg

|year=2006

|title=The dialect of Hasselt

|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association

|volume=36

|issue=1

|pages=117–124

|doi=10.1017/S0025100306002428

|doi-access=free

}}

{{citation

|last=Pop

|first=Sever

|year=1938

|title=Micul Atlas Linguistic Român

|publisher=Muzeul Limbii Române Cluj

}}

{{cite thesis

|last=Prehn

|first=Maike

|year=2012

|title=Vowel quantity and the fortis-lenis distinction in North Low Saxon

|type=PhD

|place=Amsterdam

|publisher=LOT

|isbn=978-94-6093-077-5

|url=https://pure.uva.nl/ws/files/1168313/101796_thesis_klein.pdf

}}

{{citation

|last=Rosenqvist

|first=Håkan

|year=2007

|title=Uttalsboken: svenskt uttal i praktik och teori

|place=Stockholm

|publisher=Natur & Kultur

|isbn=978-91-27-40645-2

}}

{{citation

|last1=Ternes

|first1=Elmer

|last2=Vladimirova-Buhtz

|first2=Tatjana

|year=1999

|chapter=Bulgarian

|pages=55–57

|title=Handbook of the International Phonetic Association

|publisher=Cambridge University Press

|isbn=978-0-521-63751-0

}}

{{citation

|last1=Thelwall

|first1=Robin

|last2=Sa'Adeddin

|first2=M. Akram

|year=1990

|title=Arabic

|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association

|volume=20

|issue=2

|pages=37–41

|doi=10.1017/S0025100300004266

|s2cid=243640727

}}

{{citation

|last=Thomas

|first=Erik R.

|editor-last=Schneider

|editor-first=Edgar W.

|editor2-last=Burridge

|editor2-first=Kate

|editor3-last=Kortmann

|editor3-first=Bernd

|editor4-last=Mesthrie

|editor4-first=Rajend

|editor5-last=Upton

|editor5-first=Clive

|year=2004

|title=A handbook of varieties of English

|chapter=Rural Southern white accents

|volume=1: Phonology

|publisher=Mouton de Gruyter

|pages=300–324

|isbn=978-3-11-017532-5

}}

{{citation

|last=Trudgill

|first=Peter

|year=2004

|chapter=The dialect of East Anglia: Phonology

|editor-last=Schneider

|editor-first=Edgar W.

|editor2-last=Burridge

|editor2-first=Kate

|editor3-last=Kortmann

|editor3-first=Bernd

|editor4-last=Mesthrie

|editor4-first=Rajend

|editor5-last=Upton

|editor5-first=Clive

|title=A handbook of varieties of English

|volume=1: Phonology

|publisher=Mouton de Gruyter

|pages=163–177

|isbn=3-11-017532-0

}}

{{citation

|last=van der Veen

|first=Klaas F.

|editor-last1=Munske

|editor-first1=Horst Haider

|editor-last2=Århammar

|editor-first2=Hans

|year=2001

|chapter=13. West Frisian Dialectology and Dialects

|title=Handbook of Frisian studies

|publisher=Max Niemeyer Verlag GmbH

|place=Tübingen

|pages=98–116

|isbn=978-3-484-73048-9

|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0nx-GUm-0OIC

}}

{{citation

|last=Allison

|first=Sean

|date=2006

|title=Alphabet et orthographe de Kotoko de Makary (mpadɨ) (Makary Kotoko Orthography Statement)

|publisher=SIL

|url=http://www.silcam.org/resources/archives/32321

}}

{{citation

|last=Vanvik

|first=Arne

|title=Norsk fonetikk

|year=1979

|publisher=Universitetet i Oslo

|place=Oslo

|isbn=978-82-990584-0-7

}}

{{citation

|last=Verhoeven

|first=Jo

|year=2007

|title=The Belgian Limburg dialect of Hamont

|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association

|volume=37

|issue=2

|pages=219–225

|doi=10.1017/S0025100307002940

|doi-access=free

}}

{{citation

|last=Walker

|first=Douglas

|year=1984

|title=The Pronunciation of Canadian French

|location=Ottawa

|publisher=University of Ottawa Press

|isbn=978-0-7766-4500-1

|url=http://people.ucalgary.ca/~dcwalker/PronCF.pdf

}}

{{citation

|last=Wells

|first=J.C.

|author-link=John Christopher Wells

|year=1982

|title=Accents of English

|volume=2: The British Isles

|place=Cambridge

|publisher=Cambridge University Press

}}

{{cite web

|last=Wissing

|first=Daan

|year=2016

|title=Afrikaans phonology – segment inventory

|url=http://www.taalportaal.org/taalportaal/topic/pid/topic-14610909940908011

|website=Taalportaal

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415194042/http://www.taalportaal.org/taalportaal/topic/pid/topic-14610909940908011

|archive-date=15 April 2017

|url-status=live

|access-date=16 April 2017

}}

{{citation

|last=Zamora Vicente

|first=Alonso

|year=1967

|title=Dialectología española

|edition=2nd

|publisher=Biblioteca Romanica Hispanica, Editorial Gredos

|isbn=9788424911157

|url=https://archive.org/details/bwb_KR-426-128

|url-access=registration}}

External links

{{phoible|a}}

Category:Open vowels

Category:Front vowels

Category:Unrounded vowels

class="wikitable" style="clear: both;" ! colspan="2" \| Language !! Word !! IPA !! Meaning !! Notes
Afrikaans	Standard{{sfnp\|Wissing\|2016\|loc=section "The unrounded low-central vowel {{IPA\|/ɑ/}}"}}	{{lang\|af\|dak}}	{{IPA\|[da̠k]}}	'roof'	Near-front.{{sfnp\|Wissing\|2016\|loc=section "The unrounded low-central vowel {{IPA\|/ɑ/}}"}} See Afrikaans phonology
Arabic	Standard{{sfnp\|Thelwall\|Sa'Adeddin\|1990\|p=38}}	{{lang\|ar\|أنا\|rtl=yes}}/anā	{{IPA\|[ana(ː)]}}	'I' 1st person singular pronoun	See Arabic phonology
Azerbaijani{{sfnp\|Mokari\|Werner\|2016\|p=?}}	Standard	{{lang\|az\|səs}}	{{IPA\|[s̪æ̞s̪]}}	'sound'	Typically transcribed with {{angbr IPA\|æ}}.
Bulgarian{{sfnp\|Ternes\|Vladimirova-Buhtz\|1999\|p=56}} \|	{{lang\|bg\|най}}/nay	{{IPA\|[n̪a̠j]}}	'most'	Near-front.{{sfnp\|Ternes\|Vladimirova-Buhtz\|1999\|p=56}}
Chinese \| Mandarin{{sfnp\|Mou\|2006\|p=65}}	{{lang\|cmn-Hani\|安}} / {{lang\|cmn-Latn\|ān}}	{{Audio-IPA\|Zh-ān.oga\|[ʔan˥]}}	'safe'	Allophone of {{IPA\|/a/}} before {{IPA\|/n/}}.{{sfnp\|Mou\|2006\|p=65}} See Standard Chinese phonology
rowspan="2" \| Dutch	Standard{{sfnp\|Collins\|Mees\|2003\|pp=95, 104, 132-133}}{{sfnp\|Ashby\|2011\|p=100}}	{{lang\|nl\|aas}}	{{IPA\|[aːs]}}	'bait'	Ranges from front to central.{{sfnp\|Collins\|Mees\|2003\|p=104}} See Dutch phonology
Utrecht{{sfnp\|Collins\|Mees\|2003\|p=131}}	{{lang\|nl\|bad}}	{{IPA\|[bat]}}	'bath'	Corresponds to {{IPAblink\|ɑ}} in Northern Standard Dutch. See Dutch phonology
rowspan="11" \| English	Australian{{sfnp\|Cox\|Fletcher\|2017\|p=179}}	rowspan="8" \| hat	rowspan="7" \| {{Audio-IPA\|En-uk-hat.ogg\|[hat]}}	rowspan="8" \| 'hat'	Most common pronunciation among younger speakers.{{sfnp\|Cox\|Fletcher\|2017\|p=179}} Older speakers typically use {{IPAblink\|æ}}. See Australian English phonology
California{{sfnp\|Gordon\|2004\|p=347}}{{Harvcoltxt\|Thomas\|2004\|p=308}}: A few younger speakers from, e.g., Texas, who show the {{sc2\|LOT}}/{{sc2\|THOUGHT}} merger have {{sc2\|TRAP}} shifted toward {{IPA\|[a]}}, but this retraction is not yet as common as in some non-Southern regions (e.g., California and Canada), though it is increasing in parts of the Midwest on the margins of the South (e.g., central Ohio).	rowspan="4" \| Less open {{IPAblink\|æ}} in other North American varieties. See English phonology and Canadian Shift
Canadian{{sfnp\|Boberg\|2005\|pp=133–154}}
Some Central Ohioan speakers
Some Texan speakers
Northern Suburbs of Johannesburg{{sfnp\|Bekker\|2008\|pp=83–84}}	Closer {{IPAblink\|æ}} in General South African English. See South African English phonology
Received Pronunciation{{cite web\|url=http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/case-studies/received-pronunciation/vowel-sounds-rp/ \|publisher=British Library \|title=Case Studies – Received Pronunciation Phonology – RP Vowel Sounds}}	Closer {{IPAblink\|æ}} in Conservative Received Pronunciation. See English phonology
Scouse{{citation\|last=Watson\|first=Kevin\|year=2007\|title=Liverpool English\|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association\|volume=37\|issue=3\|pages=351–360\|url=http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/4011/1/download2.pdf?origin=publication_detail\|doi=10.1017/s0025100307003180\|s2cid=232345844\|doi-access=free}}	{{IPA\|[haθ̠]}}
East Anglian{{sfnp\|Trudgill\|2004\|p=172}}	rowspan="3" \| {{lang\|en\|bra}}	rowspan="2" \| {{IPA\|[bɹaː]}}	rowspan="3" \| 'bra'	Realized as central {{IPAblink\|äː}} by middle-class speakers.{{sfnp\|Trudgill\|2004\|p=172}}
Inland Northern American{{cite web\|author=W. Labov, S. Ash and C. Boberg\|year=1997\|title=A national map of the regional dialects of American English\|publisher=Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania\|url=http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phono_atlas/NationalMap/NationalMap.html\|access-date=March 7, 2013}}	Less front [{{IPA link\|ɑ}} ~ {{IPA link\|ä}}] in other American dialects. See Northern cities vowel shift
New Zealand{{sfnp\|Bauer\|Warren\|Bardsley\|Kennedy\|2007\|p=98}}	{{IPA\|[bɹa̠ː]}}	Varies between open near-front {{IPA\|[a̠ː]}}, open central {{IPAblink\|äː}}, near-open near-front {{IPAblink\|ɐ\|ɐ̟ː}} and near-open central {{IPAblink\|ɐː}}.{{sfnp\|Bauer\|Warren\|Bardsley\|Kennedy\|2007\|p=98}} May be transcribed in IPA with {{angbr IPA\|ɐː}}. See New Zealand English phonology
rowspan="2" \| French	Conservative Parisian{{sfnp\|Ashby\|2011\|p=100}}{{sfnp\|Collins\|Mees\|2013\|pp=225–227}}	{{lang\|fr\|patte}}	{{IPA\|[pat̪]}}	'paw'	Contrasts with {{IPAslink\|ɑ}}, but many speakers have only one open vowel (phonetically central {{IPAblink\|ä}}).{{sfnp\|Collins\|Mees\|2013\|pp=226–227}} See French phonology
Quebec{{sfnp\|Walker\|1984\|p=53}}	{{lang\|fr\|arrêt}}	{{IPA\|[aʁɛ]}}	'stopping'	Contrasts with {{IPAslink\|ɑ}}.{{sfnp\|Walker\|1984\|p=53}} See Quebec French phonology
rowspan="2" \| German	Altbayern accent{{sfnp\|Dudenredaktion\|Kleiner\|Knöbl\|2015\|p=64}}	{{lang\|de\|Wassermassen}}	{{IPA\|[ˈʋɑsɐmasn̩]}}	'water masses'	Also illustrates the back {{IPAslink\|ɑ}}, with which it contrasts.{{sfnp\|Dudenredaktion\|Kleiner\|Knöbl\|2015\|p=64}} See Standard German phonology
Many Austrian accents{{sfnp\|Dudenredaktion\|Kleiner\|Knöbl\|2015\|p=64}}	{{lang\|de\|nah}}	{{IPA\|[naː]}}	'near'	Less front in other accents.{{sfnp\|Dudenredaktion\|Kleiner\|Knöbl\|2015\|p=64}} See Standard German phonology
colspan="2" \| Igbo{{sfnp\|Ikekeonwu\|1999\|p=109}}	{{lang\|ig-Latn\|ákụ}}	{{IPA\|[ákú̙]}}	'kernel'
colspan="2" rowspan="2" \| Khmer	{{lang\|km\|បាត់}} / {{Transliteration\|km\|băt}}	{{IPA\|[ɓat]}}	'to disappear'	rowspan="2" \| See Khmer phonology
{{lang\|km\|បាត}} / {{Transliteration\|km\|bat}}	{{IPA\|[ɓaːt]}}	'bottom'
Kurdish \|Palewani (Southern) \|{{lang\|ku\|گه‌ن}}/gen \|{{IPA\|[gan]}} \|'bad' \|Equal to Sorani (Central) near-front {{IPAblink\|æ}}. See Kurdish phonology
Limburgish	Many dialects{{sfnp\|Heijmans\|Gussenhoven\|1998\|p=110}}{{sfnp\|Gussenhoven\|Aarts\|1999\|p=159}}{{sfnp\|Peters\|2006\|p=119}}	{{lang\|li\|baas}}	{{IPA\|[ˈba̠ːs]}}	'boss'	Near-front;{{sfnp\|Heijmans\|Gussenhoven\|1998\|p=110}}{{sfnp\|Gussenhoven\|Aarts\|1999\|p=159}}{{sfnp\|Peters\|2006\|p=119}} realized as central {{IPAblink\|äː}} in some other dialects.{{sfnp\|Verhoeven\|2007\|p=221}} The example word is from the Maastrichtian dialect.
colspan="2" \| Low German{{sfnp\|Prehn\|2012\|p=157}}	{{lang\|nds\|Daag}} / {{lang\|nds-nl\|Dag}}	{{IPA\|[dax]}}	'day'	Backness may vary among dialects.{{sfnp\|Prehn\|2012\|p=157}}
colspan="2" \| Luxembourgish{{sfnp\|Gilles\|Trouvain\|2013\|p=70}}	{{lang\|lb\|Kap}}	{{IPA\|[kʰa̠ːpʰ]}}	'cap'	Near-front; sometimes fronted and raised to {{IPAblink\|a̝ː}}.{{sfnp\|Gilles\|Trouvain\|2013\|pp=70–71}} See Luxembourgish phonology
Malay \|Kedah \|beras \|{{IPA\|[bəɣaʲh]}} \|'raw rice' \|Considerably more front than in Standard Malay where it is usually central [{{IPA link\|ä}}]. In final syllables that are open ended or end in a glottal stop, it is realised as a back [{{IPA link\|ɒ}}]. See Kedah Malay
rowspan="2" \| Norwegian	Stavangersk{{sfnp\|Vanvik\|1979\|p=17}}	{{lang\|no\|hatt}}	{{IPA\|[hat]}}	'hat'	rowspan="2" \| See Norwegian phonology
Trondheimsk{{sfnp\|Vanvik\|1979\|p=15}}	{{lang\|no\|lær}}	{{IPA\|[læ̞ːɾ]}}	'leather'
colspan="2" \| Polish{{sfnp\|Jassem\|2003\|p=106}}	{{lang\|pl\|jajo}}	{{Audio-IPA\|Pl-jajo.ogg\|[ˈjajɔ]}}	'egg'	Allophone of {{IPA\|/ä/}} between palatal or palatalized consonants. See Polish phonology
rowspan="2" \| Spanish	Eastern Andalusian{{sfnp\|Zamora Vicente\|1967\|p=?}}	rowspan="2" \| {{lang\|es\|las madres}}	rowspan="2" \| {{IPA\|[læ̞ˑ ˈmæ̞ːð̞ɾɛˑ]}}	rowspan="2" \| 'the mothers'	rowspan="2"\| Corresponds to {{IPAblink\|ä}} in other dialects, but in these dialects they are distinct. See Spanish phonology
Murcian{{sfnp\|Zamora Vicente\|1967\|p=?}}
Swedish	Central Standard{{sfnp\|Bolander\|2001\|p=55}}{{sfnp\|Rosenqvist\|2007\|p=9}}	{{lang\|sv\|bank}}	{{IPA\|[baŋk]}}	'bank'	The backness has been variously described as front {{IPA\|[a]}},{{sfnp\|Bolander\|2001\|p=55}} near-front {{IPA\|[a̠]}}{{sfnp\|Rosenqvist\|2007\|p=9}} and central {{IPAblink\|ä}}.{{sfnp\|Engstrand\|1999\|p=140}} See Swedish phonology
West Frisian	Aastersk{{sfnp\|van der Veen\|2001\|p=102}}	{{lang\|fy\|kaaks}}	{{IPA\|[kaːks]}}	'ship's biscuit'	Contrasts with a back {{IPAslink\|ɑː}}.{{sfnp\|van der Veen\|2001\|p=102}} See West Frisian phonology