short a
Flat, not fate
Short a is the vowel sound in words like *cat*, *bat*, and *trap*—a quick, open sound made with the tongue low and forward in the mouth.
In phonics instruction, it contrasts with long a (as in *cake* or *day*).
The term appears most often when teaching reading or discussing pronunciation patterns.
- satWas seated
- catSmall furry housepet
- black catDark-coated feline
- patGentle palm stroke
- batFlying mammal or sports club
apple · bad apple · front vowel · rat · ant · vowel · hat · mat · alligator · phoneme · fat · fat cat · vat · articulation · speech therapy · phonics · reading instruction · regional accents
vowel length/type
short along a
Vowel saying its name
long vowel · long vowels · diphthong · diphthongs · schwa
- cut shortEnd before completion
- fall shortFail to reach standard
- short and sweetPleasantly concise
- short ofLacking sufficient quantity of
- short storyBrief prose fiction
- short hairTrimmed-close head covering
short, shorts, shorten, shortened, shortening, shorter, shortest, shortly, shortness