Open back unrounded vowel

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IPA – number	305
IPA – text	ɑ
IPA – image	Image:Xsampa-A2.png
Entity	ɑ
X-SAMPA	A
Kirshenbaum	A
Sound sample (help·info)

The open back unrounded vowel is a type of vowel sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ɑ, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is A. The symbol ɑ is called script a because it lacks the extra hook on top of a printed letter 'a', which corresponds to a different vowel, the open front unrounded vowel. Script a, which has its linear stroke on the bottom right, should not be confused with turned script a ɒ, which has its linear stroke on the top left and corresponds to a rounded version of this vowel, the open back rounded vowel.

Contents 1 Features 1.1 Occurrence 2 See also 3 References 4 Bibliography

[edit] Features

• Its vowel height is open, which means the tongue is positioned as far as possible from the roof of the mouth.
• Its vowel backness is back, which means the tongue is positioned as far back as possible in the mouth without creating a constriction that would be classified as a consonant
• Its vowel roundedness is unrounded, which means that the lips are not rounded.

[edit] Occurrence

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Angor		ape	[ɑpe]	'father'
Dutch		bad	[bɑt]	'bath'	Backness varies among dialects. See Dutch phonology
English	Canadian	ball	[bɑːl]	'ball'	See English phonology
	GA	spa	[spɑː]	'spa'
	RP
Finnish		kana	[kɑnɑ]	'hen'	See Finnish phonology
French		pâte	[pɑt]	'dough'	Only in dialects that distinguish pâte from patte. See French phonology
Georgian[1]		გუდა	[gudɑ]	'leather bag'
Hungarian		bal	[bɑ̽l]	'left'	See Hungarian phonology
Navajo		ashkii	[ɑʃkɪː]	'boy'
Norwegian		hat	[hɑːt]	'hate'	See Norwegian phonology
Plautdietsch		Gott	[gɑ̽t]	'God'
Russian		палка	[ˈpɑɫkə]	'stick'	Only occurs both before /ɫ/ and after an unpalatalized consonant. See Russian phonology
Swedish		hаt	[ˈhɑːt]	'hate'	See Swedish phonology
Vietnamese		tai	[tɑ̄j]	'ear'	See Vietnamese phonology

[edit] See also

• List of phonetics topics

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

• Shosted, Ryan K. & Chikovani Vakhtang (2006), "Standard Georgian", Journal of the International Phonetic Association 36 (2): 255-264br:Vogalenn digor a-dreñv plaen

cs:Otevřená zadní nezaokrouhlená samohláska de:Ungerundeter offener Hinterzungenvokal fr:Voyelle basse postérieure non arrondie ja:非円唇後舌広母音 ko:후설 비원순 저모음 pl:Samogłoska otwarta tylna niezaokrąglona