A

Pronunciation

• letter name
• UK IPA: /eɪ/
• AusE IPA: /æɪ/
• Rhymes: -eɪ
• The current pronunciation resulted from the Great Vowel Shift. Before the early part of the 17th century, the pronunciation was similar to that in other languages.
• phoneme IPA: /æ/, , , ...

From Middle English and Old English lower case letter a and split of Middle English and Old English lower case letter æ.

• Old English lower case letter a from 7th century replacement by Latin lower case letter a of the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc letter ᚪ (a, "āc"), derived from Runic letter áš« (a, "Ansuz").
• Old English lower case letter æ from 7th century replacement by Latin lower case ligature æ of the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc letter áš« (æ, "æsc"), also derived from Runic letter áš« (a, "Ansuz").

Alternative forms

• w, Gregg Shorthand, Gregg Shorthand · (dot)

Full definition of a

Letter

1. The first letter of the English alphabet, called a and written in the Appendix:Latin script

Usage notes

In English, the letter a usually denotes the near-open front unrounded vowel (IPA: /æ/), as in pad, the (IPA: /ɑː/) as in father, or, followed by another vowel, the diphthong IPA: /eɪ/, as in ace.

a is the third-most common letter in English.

Derived terms

• Digraph sequences: ae, ah, ai, au, aw, ay, ea, eau, ia, oa, ua

Cardinal number

1. The ordinal number first, derived from this letter of the English alphabet, called a and written in the Appendix:Latin script

Noun

1. The name of the Appendix:Latin script

Pronunciation

• stressed IPA: /eɪ/
• unstressed IPA: /É™/

Middle English, from Old English ān ("one, a, lone, sole"). The "n" was gradually lost before consonants in almost all dialects by the 15th century.

Article

1. One; any indefinite example of; used to denote a singular item of a group. First attested prior to 1150There was a man here looking for you yesterday.
• Schuster Hepaticae V|viiWith fresh material, taxonomic conclusions are leavened by recognition that the material examined reflects the site it occupied; a herbarium packet gives one only a small fraction of the data desirable for sound conclusions. Herbarium material does not, indeed, allow one to extrapolate safely: what you see is what you get...
• 2005, Emily Kingsley (lyricist), Kevin Clash (voice actor), “A Cookie is a Sometime Food”, Sesame Street, season 36, Sesame Workshop:Hoots the Owl: Yes a, fruit, is a , any, time, food!
2. Used in conjunction with the adjectives score, dozen, hundred, thousand, and million, as a function word.I've seen it happen a hundred times.
3. One certain or particular; any single. First attested between around 1150 to 1350

1. We've received an interesting letter from a Mrs. Miggins of London.
2. The same; one. 16th CenturyWe are of a mind on matters of morals.
3. Any, every; used before a noun which has become modified to limit its scope; also used with a negative to indicate not a single one.

1. A man who dies intestate leaves his children troubles and difficulties.He fell all that way, and hasn't a bump on his head?
2. Used before plural nouns modified by few, good many, couple, great many, etc.
3. Someone or something like; similar to;

1. The center of the village was becoming a Times Square.

Usage notes

The article an is used before vowel sounds, and a before consonant sounds.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /É™/

• From Middle English a, o, from Old English a-, an, on.
• Unstressed form of on.

Preposition

1. (archaic) To do with position or direction; In, on, at, by, towards, onto. First attested before 1150Stand a tiptoe.
2. To do with separation; In, into. First attested before 1150Torn a pieces.
3. To do with time; Each, per, in, on, by. First attested before 1150I brush my teeth twice a day.
• 1601, Shakespeare, Hamlet, IV-vA Sundays
4. (obsolete) To do with method; In, with. First attested before 1150
• Marlowe, C.Stands here a purpose.
5. (obsolete) To do with role or capacity; In. First attested before 1150A God’s name.
6. To do with status; In. First attested before 1150
• BibleTo set the people a worke.
7. (archaic) To do with process, with a passive verb; In the course of, experiencing. First attested before 1150
• 1964, Bob Dylan, The Times They Are a-Changin’The times, they are a-changin'.
8. (archaic) To do with an action, an active verb; Engaged in. 16th century
• unknown date ShakespeareIt was a doing.
• 1611, King James Bible, Hebrews 11-21''Jacob, when he was a dying
9. (archaic) To do with an action/movement; To, into. 16th century

Usage notes

(position, direction) Can also be attached without a hyphen, as aback, ahorse, afoot. See a-

(separation) Can also be attached without hyphen, as asunder. See a-

(status) Can also be attached without hyphen, as afloat, awake. See a-.

(process) Can also be attached with or without hyphen, as a-changing

Pronunciation

• IPA: /É™/

From Middle English a, ha contraction of have, or haven

Alternative forms

• 'a, 'a', ha, ha'

Verb

1. (have) (archaic or slang) Have. between 1150 and 1350, continued in some use until 1650; used again after 1950I'd a come, if you'd a asked
• 1604 (facsimile printed between 1830 and 1910), William Shakespeare, :So would I a done by yonder Å¿unneAnd thou hadÅ¿t not come to my bed.

Derived terms

Usage notes

Now often attached to preceding auxiliary verb. See -a.

Pronunciation

• PR IPA: /É™/
• (it) PR IPA: /É™/, /É‘/

• (he) From Middle English a, ha ("he"), unstressed variant of he, from Old English hÄ“.
• (she) From Middle English a, ha, unstressed variant of heo, hie, hi, from Old English hÄ“o, hÄ«o, hÄ« feminine of hÄ“ ("he").
• (they) From Middle English a, ha, unstressed variant of hie, hi, from Old English hÄ«e, hÄ« plural of hÄ“ ("he").
• (it) From Middle English a, ha, unstressed variant of he, heo, from Old English hit ("it").
• (I) From Middle English variant of the word I.

Alternative forms

• 'a

Pronoun

1. (obsolete except British, Scotland, dialectal) He. 1150-1900
• 1599, Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing, III-ii:a’ brushes his hat o’ mornings.
• 1874 Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd (Barnes & Noble Classics reprint reset, 2005, chapter 5, page 117; from "Hardy's 1912 Wessex edition"):"And how Farmer James would cuss, and call thee a fool, wouldn't he, Joseph, when 'a seed his name looking so inside-out-like?" continued Matthew Moon, with feeling.
  "Ay — 'a would," said Joseph meekly.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /É™/, /ɑː/

Variant spelling of ah.

Interjection

1. A meaningless syllable; ah.
• unknown date Shakespeare, The Winter’s Tale, IV-iii:A merry heart goes all the dayYour sad tires in a mile-a
• unknown date Avery, I Love to Singa:I love to sing-aAbout the moon-a and the June-a and the Spring-a.

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /É™/

From Middle English, contraction of of.

Preposition

preposition

1. (archaic, slang) Of.The name of John a Gaunt.
• a. 1597, Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 1, I-iiWhat time a day is it?
• 1598, Ben Jonson,It’s six a clock.
• When I'm Gone (Carter Family song) (created) - 2009 (revived) - 2011 (viral video) - (film version), Cups (When I'm Gone)Two bottles 'a whiskey for the way

Usage notes

Often attached without a hyphen to preceding word.

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /É”/

From Middle English (Northern dialect) aw, alteration of all.

Alternative forms

• a'

Adverb

1. (chiefly Scotland) All. First attested from 1350 to 1470.

Adjective

1. (chiefly Scotland) All. First attested from 1350 to 1470.

Symbols

Symbol

symbol

1. Distance from leading edge to aerodynamic center.
2. specific absorption coefficient
3. specific rotation
4. allele (recessive)