- There are two short A sounds that must be distinguished: Wide Short A (ӕ) and Lax Short A (ɑ). This lesson will focus on Wide Short A.
- To pronounce this sound, the tongue must be flattened out at the bottom of the mouth. As it is pressed down, the back of the tongue is displaced and moves backward, tightening the throat. (Some native speakers move the tongue up in the rear-center of the mouth instead, which produces the same tension and sound but more nasal).
- The lips come back a little bit to widen the mouth into a relaxed position, and the mouth opens slightly.
- These positions are done simultaneously for a static sound, not in succession like a moving sound.
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