What letters can make the vowel sound a?

Here's a breakdown of how different letters can make the "a" vowel sound in English:

The Basic "a" Sound

* a - This is the most common way to spell the "a" sound, as in "cat", "hat", "map".

Other Spellings

* ai - as in "rain", "wait", "sail"

* ay - as in "day", "play", "stay"

* au - as in "caught", "taught", "daughter" (This sound can sometimes be closer to the "o" sound as in "cot".)

* e - as in "bed", "said", "bread"

* ei - as in "they", "neighbor" (In some words, this can also make the "a" sound as in "vein", "reign".)

Important Note: English spelling is tricky! Even though these letters often make the "a" sound, they can sometimes make different sounds depending on the word. For example, "au" can make the "o" sound in "author".

Practice: Try reading these words out loud and listen for the "a" sound:

* cat, hat, map, rain, wait, sail, day, play, stay, caught, taught, daughter, bed, said, bread, they, neighbor, vein, reign

Let me know if you have any more questions!