The vowel sound /æ/ (a ligada)

The /æ/: the linked a, between Spanish a and e

The /æ/ is an open, front vowel that Spanish doesn't have. It sounds like a blend of a and e, and it's longer and more open than a Spanish speaker expects. It shows up in a huge number of everyday words, so getting it right changes how your English sounds immediately.

How it's made

• 👄 Mouth: wide open, jaw low, lips spread out to the sides.
• 👅 Tongue: forward and low, pushing toward your bottom teeth.
• 🔊 Voice: voiced and long — it lasts longer than a Spanish a.

You hear it in: cat · bat · man · have · bad

⚠️ The typical Spanish-speaker mistake: substituting the Spanish a, which is more closed and much shorter. That pushes cat toward cot, bad toward bed and man toward men.

By the end you'll be able to: open and lengthen the /æ/ enough to keep cat / cot and bad / bed apart.