A.
A has three sounds.
1. The first is both long and short; long, like a in the English words far, star; as, àr slaughter, àth a ford, gràdh,
love, sàruich oppress; short, like a in that; as, cath a battle, alt a joint; abuich ripe.
2. Both long and short, before dh and gh. This sound has none like it in English. Long, as, adhbhar a cause, adhradh worship; short, as, lagh a law, magh a field, adharc a horn.
3. Short and obscure, like e in mother; as, an, a the, ar our, ma if, and in the plural termination a or an.