The AH [ɑ]
Vowel Sound in American English
This is the vowel sound in father, honest, and calm — and it plays a huge role in how natural your speech sounds in American English. Learn how to recognize, pronounce, and practice the AH [ɑ] vowel in real-life conversation.
AH [ɑ] vs UH [ʌ] — What’s the Real Difference?
The AH [ɑ] sound (like in father) is more open — about two fingers of vertical space in the mouth. Your jaw drops a bit more, there’s more space in the back of your jaw, and the back of your tongue lowers gently to make even more space.
The UH [ʌ] sound (like in butter) is more neutral — about one finger of space. The tongue stays centered and relaxed, and there’s less opening overall.
Real-Life Sentences with AH [ɑ] and UH [ʌ]
The sun was hot.
[ðə ˈsʌn wəz hɑt]
He shut the lock.
[hi ˈʃʌt ðə lɑk]
I love the dog.
[aɪ ˈlʌv ðə dɑɡ]
The bug is on the box.
[ðə ˈbʌɡ ɪz ɑn ðə bɑks]
The button at the bottom was rotten.
[ðə ˈbʌtən ət ðə ˈbɑtəm wəz ˈrɑtən]
Bob’s my brother.
[bɑbz maɪ ˈbrʌðɚ]
Want to Go Deeper with American Pronunciation?
If this vowel breakdown helped you, you’ll love the full American Accent Fundamentals course — covering rhythm, placement, real-life examples, and the patterns behind how Americans really speak.
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