00:00A sound that people seem to like a lot is the A sound. In IPA, the International Phonetic
00:09Alphabet, we use the ash symbol to represent this sound. This symbol is used in a lot of
00:17other languages and alphabets, but please remember that in these videos I'm using it
00:23within the IPA, the International Phonetic Alphabet. So don't be commenting that I'm saying it
00:31wrong because I'm saying it differently to how it's used in other languages. This is how
00:36it's used in IPA. I have made another video all about the ash symbol and how it's used
00:44in lots of different languages, so you might want to check that out.
00:52The most common words with the A sound are and, have, can, man, cat, hat, back and fact.
01:15Remember that pronunciation is physical and if you're making mistakes with this sound you
01:20need to think about what you're doing physically. It's technically called the near open front
01:29unrounded vowel because your mouth should be open quite wide and your lips are unrounded
01:38as we say the sound.
01:46We can see this on the phonetic charts because it's on the bottom row of the vowel section,
01:51which means that the mouth is open. As we say the sounds in that column from top to bottom,
01:58you can see how the mouth gets more and more open, E, E, A. And it's on the left column
02:08because the lips are unrounded. We can see the lips get more rounded as we go from left to
02:16right. A, A, R, O. To practice the A sound I prepared a text for you that uses this sound
02:27a lot in a variety of words. I'll read it out for you then you can rewind and read it with
02:34me.
02:37Max grabbed his backpack and headed out the door. He had a plan to hike up to the mountain pass.
02:45Despite the fact that it was quite steep and he hadn't hiked in quite a long time, he knew
02:51it would be a challenge, but he was up for it. As he walked he noticed the landscape changing
02:58around him. The fields were replaced by jagged cliffs. He paused to catch his breath and take
03:06in the view. The mountains towered above him.
03:10Max continued. He had to step carefully as the pass was narrow and treacherous. At one point
03:17he slipped on a loose rock and nearly fell, but he caught himself just in time and continued.
03:26Finally he reached the pass. He could see for miles in every direction. He sat down and breathed
03:34the fresh mountain air. He felt a sense of accomplishment wash over him. He had done it. As he hiked back
03:46down, Max realised that he had pushed himself harder than ever. He felt proud for taking
03:53on the challenge and overcoming his fears. He couldn't wait to tell his friends about
03:59his adventure.
04:03Now you can rewind and say it with me or turn the volume down and read it out loud yourself.
04:12Now let's try some tongue twisters. Here's the first one.
04:18A cat sat on a mat and ate a fat rat.
04:25The black cat ran fast past the grass patch.
04:32The happy camper packed a snack of crackers and jam.
04:37The mad hatter had a chat with a sad rat.
04:44The jazz band played at the back of the class.
04:49The bad actor had to practice his craft.
04:54The black jack dealer dealt a pack of jacks.
04:59The mad scientist had a lab full of rats and bats.
05:06The fat man sat on the back of the flat van.
05:13The black hat was flat on the mat like a rat in a hat.
05:21If you want more help improving your English then head on over to patreon.com slash learn
05:26English or you can use the card in the corner or the link in the description.
05:32There you'll find a PDF worksheet for this lesson that you can download and another video
05:38to go with that worksheet.
05:40There's also loads of other videos, the chance to have classes with me and ask questions which
05:46I'll answer in a personalised video for you and loads of other benefits.
05:51So tell your friends and I look forward to meeting you soon.
