The /ɑː/ Sound (“car”) for French Speakers
The long, open vowel in car, park, heart and father – with a listening tool, a word list and a 20-sentence minimal-pair story.
La voyelle longue /ɑː/ de « car », « park », « heart » – pour les francophones.
- How to say /ɑː/
- French traps
- Listen & repeat tool
- 20-sentence story quiz
1 How to Say /ɑː/
Open
Drop your jaw – as wide as for a yawn.
Back
Pull the tongue back and down – further back than French a in patte.
Long
Hold it: caaar, paaark. ː means long.
2 Traps for French Speakers
Dropping the French R
French car, parc, carte, marque have a uvular r. In British English the r disappears and the vowel gets longer instead.
A front “a”
French a is too far forward and sounds like /æ/: park → pack. Move it back.
The missing H
heart, hard, harsh, half need a breathy /h/ – otherwise heart becomes art.
Spelling surprises
/ɑː/ is also spelt a (father, bath, can’t), ear (heart), al (calm – silent l), au (aunt).
3 Word List – Tap to Listen
Tap a word to hear it (uses your device’s English voice), then repeat it.
| Spelling | Words |
|---|---|
| ar | |
| a (British) | |
| ear | |
| al | |
| au / er |
The voice comes from your browser or phone. A British (UK) voice is chosen if one is available – otherwise pick one in the tool below.
4 Listening Tool: Type a Word, Hear It
Press Enter or 🔊 to listen.
5 Millie’s Story: 20 Minimal Pairs
Choose the word that completes the sentence. All the correct answers contain /ɑː/. Then read the sentence aloud.
Listen, repeat, and record yourself saying the story sentences.
Take the free pronunciation test →
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