Regional variation

How /ɑː/ varies across English

Different English accents pronounce this vowel differently. Knowing the variation helps you understand speakers from other regions, even if you only practice producing one accent yourself.

Where it varies around the world

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Quick reference

• australian: /aː/ — More fronted [aː], used in both PALM and BATH lexical sets.
• british_rp: /ɑː/ — Used in BATH words: bath, class, dance, pass, grass.
• general_american: /ɑ/ — Same quality as LOT; no length contrast.

Interactive comparison

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Try the same word in different accents

The word father /ˈfɑːðər/ sounds different depending on where the speaker is from. Use the analyzer below to hear it in your target accent, then switch the accent setting in the analyzer to explore alternatives.

Try this sentence in the analyzer
“father”
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/ɑː/long open back unroundedArticulator diagram · regional variants · drill ↗