The sound /ɑː/ is one of the long vowel sounds in English. It is often called the long “ah” sound and is heard in words like car, father, arm, and start. This sound is common in British English and is quite different from its short counterpart /æ/ in both length and tongue position. It is a deep, open, and relaxed sound. 👉 Phonetic Description The symbol /ɑː/ represents a long, low, back vowel. The tongue is placed low and towards the back of the mouth. The lips are unrounded and slightly open.

English Vowel Length (let's keep this short). English is often described as having "long" and "short" vowel sounds. This can be very helpful to break down a large group of monophthongs, but is it accurate? In this short lesson, we explore whether length is really as important as it appears. | Pronunciation Studio