/æ/ vs /ɑː/: cat vs cart
The short front /æ/ and the long back /ɑː/ separate hat/heart, pack/park and match/march in British English, where the written r is silent and only the vowel changes.
- Medium impact
- 7 pairs
- Three voices
1 / 10
Which word do you hear?
See the difference
/æ/ is short, bright and at the front; /ɑː/ is long, dark and from the back of the mouth with a dropped jaw. Feel the sound physically move backwards between 'cat' and 'cart'.
All 7 pairs
In a sentence
Hardest for speakers of
Questions
What is the difference between cat and cart?
cat /kæt/ uses the /æ/ sound while cart /kɑːt/ uses /ɑː/. /æ/ is short, bright and at the front; /ɑː/ is long, dark and from the back of the mouth with a dropped jaw. Feel the sound physically move backwards between 'cat' and 'cart'.
Which learners find the /æ/ vs /ɑː/ contrast hardest?
It is most challenging for French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean speakers, whose first languages don't separate these two sounds.