Note: Tongue sags and is a trifle narrower than the above resonance in ä; mouth open wide; lips relaxed.
- asked—åskt, not ăskt, nor ăst.
- aversion—å-vẽr´shun, not a-ver´zhun.
- bass (fish)—bås, not băs.
- bath—båth, not băth.
- chant—chånt, not chănt.
- contrast (vb.)—kon-tråst´, not kon´trăst.
- draft—dråft, not drăft.
- draught—dråft, not drăft.
- glass—glås, not glăs.
- grant—grånt, not grănt.
- grasp—gråsp, not grăsp.
- mast—måst, not măst.
- isinglass—ī´zĭng-glåss, not ī-zŭn´glăs.
- pianist—pi-ån´ĭst, not pe´a-nist.
- aft—åft, not ăft.
- casket—kås´ket, not kăs´ket.
The Vowel Sound as in “Can”
Note: Tongue sags and widens; contact is front; mouth open moderately wide.
- accept—ăk-sĕpt´, not ĕk-sept´.
- accurate—ăk´kū-rat, not ăk´kẽr-ĭt.
- algebra—ăl´je-bra, not ăl´je-brā.
- ally—ăl-li´, not ăl´li (n) and (vb).
- and—ănd, not ŭn, nor änd.
- bade—băd, not bāde.
- calcium—kăl´sĭ-ŭm, not kăl´shĭ-ŭm.
- camera—kăm´e-ra.
- canyon—kăn´yun.
- catchup—kăch´up, not kĕch´up.
- chasm—kăz´m, not kăz´um.
- exact—egz-ăkt´, not eks-ăkt´.
- flannel—flăn´nĕl, not flăn´nĕn.
- harass—hăr´ăs, not har-răs´.
- maritime—măr´ĭ-tĭm, not mâr´ĭ-tĭm.
- olfactory—ŏl-făk´tō-rĭ, not ŏl-făk´trĭ.
The Vowel Sound as in “Fade”
Note: This is a diphthongal or double sound beginning on arch of tongue in middle of mouth and moving forward to just back of upper front teeth; mouth is open wide for first resonance but narrows for second.
- aeronaut—ā´ẽr-ō-na̤t.
- amiable—ā´mĭ-a-bl.
- apparatus—ăp-pa-rā´tŭs, not ăp-pa-ră´tus.
- apricot—ā´prĭ-cŏt, not ă´prĭ-cŏt.
- chaos—kā´ōs.
- Danish—dā´nĭsh, not dă´nĭsh.
- data—dā´ta, not dă´ta.
- disgrace—dĭs-grās´.
- heinous—hā´nŭs, not hē´nŭs.
- naked—nā´kĕd, not nĕ´kĕd.
- acorn—ā´kŭrn, not ā´kŏrn.
- patriotic—pā´trĭ-ŏt-ĭk, not păt´rĭ-ŏt-ĭk.
- plague—plāg, not plĕg.
- slake—slāk, not slăk.
- wary—wā´rĭ, not wâ´ri.
- ignoramus—ĭg-nō-rā´mŭs, not ĭg-nō-ră´mŭs.
The Vowel Sound as in “Led”
Note: Tongue arched; contact at top of arch; mouth moderately open; lips relaxed.