Discover the secrets of English words that start with “A”! In this episode, we break down how stress, word origin, and surrounding letters determine whether the initial A sounds like /æ/, /eɪ/, /ɑː/, or the weak schwa /ə/. Learn the rules, spot the exceptions, and practice tricky words like address, arrow, aviation, and atlas to make your pronunciation more natural and confident.

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https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Master the soft, unstressed “A” in English! This episode focuses on the schwa /ə/, the most common vowel in unstressed syllables. Through guided practice, you’ll learn to hear and produce the middle, initial, and final A schwa in words like banana, alone, and sofa. Contrast stressed vs. unstressed A, refine your ear, and practice naturally flowing English pronunciation with simple, repeat-after-me exercises.

Transcript:

Middle Schwa: Banana, Family, Animal, Company, Chocolate, elephant , celebrate, personal, president, different, support, cinema.

Initial Schwa: about - again - ago - around - awake - allow - alone - adapt - ahead - across - attend - attempt - amount - agree - apart - assist - achieve

Apple (/æ/) – about (/ə/)

Agent (/eɪ/) – alone (/ə/)

Army (/ɑː/) – again (/ə/)

Actor (/æ/) – around (/ə/)

Able (/eɪ/) – ago (/ə/)

Final Schwa: sofa - comma -pizza - idea - agenda - extra - drama - algebra - camera - tuna - banana - umbrella - formula - opera

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https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

In this episode, we explore the “a” schwa — the soft, relaxed vowel that appears in unstressed syllables. You’ll hear how it works in real words like banana, about, camera, and sofa, and how it helps English flow more naturally. We look at examples at the beginning, middle, and end of words so you can start recognising the schwa by ear. This quick guide will help you tune into one of the most common sounds in English and build a more natural-sounding accent. Tune in and practise along.

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https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

You've conquered the grammar, built an impressive vocabulary, and can express complex ideas with ease. So why does your accent still give you away? If you've ever felt stuck in your pronunciation patterns, wondering why you can't seem to break through to that native British sound, you've hit what I call the pronunciation plateau. It's incredibly common for advanced learners, and it's frustrating precisely because you've come so far. This is about understanding why pronunciation work is so challenging, why it's actually about retraining muscle memory rather than learning new information, and how to move beyond "foreign-sounding" English to make British pronunciation an integral part of how you express yourself.

If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.

https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

I’d like to introduce you to the schwa — English’s most common and mysterious vowel sound! In this episode of the British Vowel Sound Masterclass, we explore what the schwa is, how it appears in unstressed syllables, and why it’s essential for smooth, natural speech. Hear how it can appear as A, E, I, O, or U, with examples at the beginning, middle, and end of words. Perfect for non-native speakers aiming to improve pronunciation, fluency, and confidence.

If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.

https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Master the difference between the short /ɒ/ (as in what and hot) and the long /ɔː/ (as in water and talk). In this lesson, you’ll practice mouth positioning, tongue placement, and vowel length through repetition, word pairs, and tongue twisters. Perfect for sharpening your ear and improving your British English pronunciation. Exaggeration techniques included for maximum effect.

Transcript:

/ɒ/- What, hot, not, dog, lot, shop, clock, pocket, follow, hobby, What, watch, want, wallet, wash, wander,

/ɔː/- water, law, talk, walk, warm, thought, short, more, board, quarter, water, walk, talk, warm, wardrobe, warning,

(Minimal pairs 1)

hot — haaaawl,

not — nooorth,

dog — dawwwwrn,

what — waaa-ter,

cot — cooourt

(Minimal pairs 2)

what — water,

dog — talk,

watch — walk,

lot — law,

want — warm,

clock — caught,

pocket — board,

shop — short,

follow — fall,

wander — warning,

wash – warm,

wallet – wardrobe,

quantity – quarter,

not — north

(Minimal pairs 3)

dog — dawn,

cot — court,

rot — road,

got — gore,

pop — pour,

shock — shore,

cross — coarse,

body — board,

hobby — hoard,

off — or

(Tongue Twisters)

“Tom’s small shop sold lots of hot chocolate pots.”

“Tall Paul taught four warm dogs to walk by the shore.”

“Wanda watched Walter walk past the shop with a long, warm stopwatch.”

“Short dogs got lost on the long walk to the old forest.”

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https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

In this episode, we break down one of English’s most confusing vowel quirks — why the letter A sounds completely different in what and water. You’ll learn how to hear and pronounce the short /ɒ/ and long /ɔː/ vowels, understand what actually changes inside the mouth, and practise with clear word pairs to sharpen your accent. Perfect for learners who want a more natural, confident British pronunciation.

If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.

https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Practice four of the seven A sounds in British English: /æ/, /ɑː/, /eɪ/, and /eə/. This episode guides you through clear examples, repetition drills, mixed practice, and tongue twister challenges to help you master pronunciation and reinforce mouth, tongue, and jaw movements for natural, accurate British English.

Transcript:

/æ/ — cat, man, hat, bat, black, bad, map, bag, hand, tap

/ɑː/ — car, father, park, start, heart, arm, far, calm, dark, hard

/eɪ/ — name, rain, day, play, cake, make, same, take, face, lake

/eə/ — care, fair, hair, share, chair, pair, dare, wear, air, stare

cat — car — name — care

man — father — rain — fair

bag — park — day — hair

hand — arm — make — share

tap — heart — cake — pair

“A black cat ran past a bad bag of maps.” “The car park at the far dark arm of the farm.” “May’s cake made the same day as Jane’s play.” “Careful Claire shared her chair with a fair pair of bears.”

If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.

https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274