SpeakMetry
Start free

Pronunciation · vowel

The /ɑː/ sound — ar as in car

In short

/ɑː/ is a long open back vowel — the vowel you hear in car, father, ask. Like every diphthong, the glide between two positions IS the sound. Below: exactly how to position your mouth, audio you can copy, the mistakes learners actually make, and drills to fix them.

How to pronounce /ɑː/

  1. 1Open your mouth wide and drop your jaw.
  2. 2Pull your tongue low and to the back.
  3. 3Hold the sound long: caaar, faaather.

Sounds like: the long 'ah' you make for a doctor, from deep in the mouth

/ɑː/ in words — with audio

Listen, then copy. The slow (turtle) version exaggerates the mouth movement.

  • car/kɑː/ · sound is final
  • father/ˈfɑːðə/ · sound is medial
  • ask/ɑːsk/ · sound is initial
  • heart/hɑːt/ · sound is medial
  • calm/kɑːm/ · sound is medial
  • laugh/lɑːf/ · sound is medial

The mistake almost everyone makes

Cutting it short so 'heart' sounds like 'hut', or pronouncing the letter r after it in British English — in RP 'car' is /kɑː/ with no r sound.

Spellings of /ɑː/

These letter patterns commonly spell /ɑː/: ar a al ear au. English spelling is unreliable — trust the IPA, not the letters.

British vs American: American English pronounces the r ('car' = /kɑr/) and uses /æ/ in words like 'ask', 'laugh' and 'dance'.

Don't confuse it with…

Minimal pairs isolate the exact contrast — the fastest way to train both your ear and your mouth.

Keep exploring

Frequently asked questions

How do you pronounce the /ɑː/ sound?
Open your mouth wide and drop your jaw. Pull your tongue low and to the back. Hold the sound long: caaar, faaather.
What is the most common mistake with /ɑː/?
Cutting it short so 'heart' sounds like 'hut', or pronouncing the letter r after it in British English — in RP 'car' is /kɑː/ with no r sound.
Which spellings make the /ɑː/ sound?
Common spellings include “ar”, “a”, “al”, “ear”, “au” — as in car /kɑː/, father /ˈfɑːðə/, ask /ɑːsk/.
Is /ɑː/ different in American English?
American English pronounces the r ('car' = /kɑr/) and uses /æ/ in words like 'ask', 'laugh' and 'dance'. IELTS accepts both — pick one model and stay consistent.
Does /ɑː/ matter for IELTS?
It matters moderately. Errors are noticeable but only sometimes affect understanding. Fix the high-priority vowel contrasts and final consonants first, then polish this one.

Next step

Get scored on your /ɑː/

Record yourself in SpeakMetry's Pronunciation Coach and get instant AI feedback on this exact sound — plus a map of every sound that needs work.

Try it free