Editing Open front unrounded vowel (section)

==Occurrence==
Many languages have some form of an unrounded open vowel. For languages that have only a single open vowel, the symbol for this vowel {{angbr|a}} may be used because it is the only open vowel whose symbol is part of the basic [[Latin alphabet]]. Whenever marked as such, the vowel is closer to a central {{IPA|[ä]}} than to a front {{IPA|[a]}}. However, there may not actually be much of a difference. (See [[Vowel#Acoustics]].)

{| class="wikitable" style="clear: both;"
! colspan="2" | Language !! Word !! [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] !! Meaning !! Notes
|-
| [[Afrikaans language|Afrikaans]] || Standard{{sfnp|Wissing|2016|loc=section "The unrounded low-central vowel {{IPA|/ɑ/}}"}} || {{lang|af|[[Afrikaans alphabet|d'''a'''k]]}} || {{IPA|[da̠k]}} || 'roof' || Near-front.{{sfnp|Wissing|2016|loc=section "The unrounded low-central vowel {{IPA|/ɑ/}}"}} See [[Afrikaans phonology]]
|-
| [[Arabic language|Arabic]] || Standard{{sfnp|Thelwall|Sa'Adeddin|1990|p=38}} || {{lang|ar|[[Arabic alphabet|أنا]]|rtl=yes}}/anā ||{{IPA|[ana(ː)]}} || 'I' 1st person singular pronoun || See [[Arabic phonology]]
|-
| [[Azerbaijani language|Azerbaijani]]{{sfnp|Mokari|Werner|2016|p=?}} || Standard || {{lang|az|[[Azerbaijani alphabet|s'''ə'''s]]}} || {{IPA|[s̪æ̞s̪]}} || 'sound' || Typically transcribed with {{angbr IPA|æ}}.
|-
| [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]{{sfnp|Ternes|Vladimirova-Buhtz|1999|p=56}} 
| || {{lang|bg|[[Bulgarian language|н'''а'''й]]}}/nay ||{{IPA|[n̪a̠j]}} || 'most' || Near-front.{{sfnp|Ternes|Vladimirova-Buhtz|1999|p=56}}
|-
|[[Chinese language|Chinese]]
| [[Standard Chinese|Mandarin]]{{sfnp|Mou|2006|p=65}} || {{lang|cmn-Hani|[[Chinese characters|安]]}} / {{lang|cmn-Latn|[[Pinyin|'''ā'''n]]}} || {{Audio-IPA|Zh-ān.oga|[ʔan˥]}} || 'safe' || Allophone of {{IPA|/a/}} before {{IPA|/n/}}.{{sfnp|Mou|2006|p=65}} See [[Standard Chinese phonology]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[Dutch language|Dutch]] || Standard{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|2003|pp=95, 104, 132-133}}{{sfnp|Ashby|2011|p=100}} || {{lang|nl|[[Dutch orthography|'''aa'''s]]}} || {{IPA|[aːs]}} || 'bait' || Ranges from front to [[Open central unrounded vowel|central]].{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|2003|p=104}} See [[Dutch phonology]]
|-
| [[Utrecht]]{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|2003|p=131}} || {{lang|nl|[[Dutch orthography|b'''a'''d]]}} || {{IPA|[bat]}} || 'bath' || Corresponds to {{IPAblink|ɑ}} in Northern Standard Dutch. See [[Dutch phonology]]
|-
| rowspan="11" | [[English language|English]] || [[Australian English|Australian]]{{sfnp|Cox|Fletcher|2017|p=179}} || rowspan="8" | ''[[English orthography|h'''a'''t]]'' || rowspan="7" | {{Audio-IPA|En-uk-hat.ogg|[hat]}} || rowspan="8" | 'hat' || Most common pronunciation among younger speakers.{{sfnp|Cox|Fletcher|2017|p=179}} Older speakers typically use {{IPAblink|æ}}. See [[Australian English phonology]]
|-
| [[California English|California]]{{sfnp|Gordon|2004|p=347}}<ref name="thomas308">{{Harvcoltxt|Thomas|2004|p=308}}: A few younger speakers from, e.g., Texas, who show the {{sc2|LOT}}/{{sc2|THOUGHT}} merger have {{sc2|TRAP}} shifted toward {{IPA|[a]}}, but this retraction is not yet as common as in some non-Southern regions (e.g., California and Canada), though it is increasing in parts of the Midwest on the margins of the South (e.g., central Ohio).</ref> || rowspan="4" | Less open {{IPAblink|æ}} in other North American varieties. See [[English phonology]] and [[Canadian Shift]]
|-
| [[Canadian English|Canadian]]<ref name="thomas308"/>{{sfnp|Boberg|2005|pp=133–154}}
|-
| Some [[Midland American English|Central Ohioan]] speakers<ref name="thomas308"/>
|-
| Some [[Texan English|Texan]] speakers<ref name="thomas308"/>
|-
| [[Suburbs of Johannesburg#Northern suburbs|Northern Suburbs]] of [[Johannesburg]]{{sfnp|Bekker|2008|pp=83–84}} || Closer {{IPAblink|æ}} in General South African English. See [[South African English phonology]]
|-
| [[Received Pronunciation]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/sounds/case-studies/received-pronunciation/vowel-sounds-rp/ |publisher=British Library |title=Case Studies – Received Pronunciation Phonology – RP Vowel Sounds}}</ref>|| Closer {{IPAblink|æ}} in Conservative Received Pronunciation. See [[English phonology]]
|-
| [[Scouse]]<ref>{{citation|last=Watson|first=Kevin|year=2007|title=Liverpool English|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association|volume=37|issue=3|pages=351–360|url=http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/4011/1/download2.pdf?origin=publication_detail|doi=10.1017/s0025100307003180|s2cid=232345844|doi-access=free}}</ref>||{{IPA|[haθ̠]}}
|-
| [[East Anglian English|East Anglian]]{{sfnp|Trudgill|2004|p=172}} || rowspan="3" | ''{{lang|en|[[English orthography|br'''a''']]}}'' || rowspan="2" | {{IPA|[bɹaː]}} || rowspan="3" | 'bra' || Realized as central {{IPAblink|äː}} by middle-class speakers.{{sfnp|Trudgill|2004|p=172}}
|-
| [[Inland Northern American English|Inland Northern American]]<ref>{{cite web|author=W. Labov, S. Ash and C. Boberg|year=1997|title=A national map of the regional dialects of American English|publisher=Department of Linguistics, University of Pennsylvania|url=http://www.ling.upenn.edu/phono_atlas/NationalMap/NationalMap.html|access-date=March 7, 2013}}</ref> || Less front [{{IPA link|ɑ}} ~ {{IPA link|ä}}] in other American dialects. See [[Northern cities vowel shift]]
|-
| [[New Zealand English|New Zealand]]{{sfnp|Bauer|Warren|Bardsley|Kennedy|2007|p=98}} || {{IPA|[bɹa̠ː]}} || Varies between open near-front {{IPA|[a̠ː]}}, open central {{IPAblink|äː}}, near-open near-front {{IPAblink|ɐ|ɐ̟ː}} and near-open central {{IPAblink|ɐː}}.{{sfnp|Bauer|Warren|Bardsley|Kennedy|2007|p=98}} May be transcribed in IPA with {{angbr IPA|ɐː}}. See [[New Zealand English phonology]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[French language|French]] || Conservative Parisian{{sfnp|Ashby|2011|p=100}}{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|2013|pp=225–227}} || {{lang|fr|[[French orthography|p'''a'''tte]]}} || {{IPA|[pat̪]}} || 'paw' || Contrasts with {{IPAslink|ɑ}}, but many speakers have only one open vowel (phonetically central {{IPAblink|ä}}).{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|2013|pp=226–227}} See [[French phonology]]
|-
| [[Quebec French|Quebec]]{{sfnp|Walker|1984|p=53}} || {{lang|fr|[[French orthography|'''a'''rrêt]]}} || {{IPA|[aʁɛ]}} || 'stopping' || Contrasts with {{IPAslink|ɑ}}.{{sfnp|Walker|1984|p=53}} See [[Quebec French phonology]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[German language|German]] || Altbayern accent<!--NOT 'dialect', the source talks about Standard German spoken with Altbayern accent-->{{sfnp|Dudenredaktion|Kleiner|Knöbl|2015|p=64}} || {{lang|de|[[German alphabet|Wasserm'''a'''ssen]]}} || {{IPA|[ˈʋɑsɐmasn̩]}} || 'water masses' || Also illustrates the back {{IPAslink|ɑ}}, with which it contrasts.{{sfnp|Dudenredaktion|Kleiner|Knöbl|2015|p=64}} See [[Standard German phonology]]
|-
| Many Austrian accents<!--NOT 'dialects', the source talks about Standard German spoken with Austrian accents-->{{sfnp|Dudenredaktion|Kleiner|Knöbl|2015|p=64}} || {{lang|de|[[German alphabet|n'''ah''']]}} || {{IPA|[naː]}} || 'near' || Less front in other accents.{{sfnp|Dudenredaktion|Kleiner|Knöbl|2015|p=64}} See [[Standard German phonology]]
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Igbo language|Igbo]]{{sfnp|Ikekeonwu|1999|p=109}} || {{lang|ig-Latn|'''á'''kụ}} || {{IPA|[ákú̙]}}|| 'kernel'||
|-
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | [[Khmer language|Khmer]] || {{lang|km|[[Khmer script|បាត់]]}} / {{Transliteration|km|b'''ă'''t}} || {{IPA|[ɓat]}} || 'to disappear' || rowspan="2" | See [[Khmer phonology]]
|-
| {{lang|km|[[Khmer script|បាត]]}} / {{Transliteration|km|b'''a'''t}} || {{IPA|[ɓaːt]}} || 'bottom'
|-
|[[Kurdish languages|Kurdish]]
|[[Palewani|Palewani (Southern)]]
|{{lang|ku|[[Kurdish orthography|گه‌ن]]}}/gen
|{{IPA|[gan]}}
|'bad'
|Equal to [[Sorani|Sorani (Central)]] near-front {{IPAblink|æ}}. See [[Kurdish phonology]]
|-
| [[Limburgish language|Limburgish]] || Many dialects{{sfnp|Heijmans|Gussenhoven|1998|p=110}}{{sfnp|Gussenhoven|Aarts|1999|p=159}}{{sfnp|Peters|2006|p=119}} || {{lang|li|b'''aa'''s}} || {{IPA|[ˈba̠ːs]}} || 'boss' || Near-front;{{sfnp|Heijmans|Gussenhoven|1998|p=110}}{{sfnp|Gussenhoven|Aarts|1999|p=159}}{{sfnp|Peters|2006|p=119}} realized as central {{IPAblink|äː}} in some other dialects.{{sfnp|Verhoeven|2007|p=221}} The example word is from the [[Maastrichtian dialect]].
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Low German]]{{sfnp|Prehn|2012|p=157}} || {{lang|nds|D'''aa'''g}} / {{lang|nds-nl|D'''a'''g}}|| {{IPA|[dax]}} || 'day' || Backness may vary among dialects.{{sfnp|Prehn|2012|p=157}}
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Luxembourgish language|Luxembourgish]]{{sfnp|Gilles|Trouvain|2013|p=70}} || {{lang|lb|K'''a'''p}} || {{IPA|[kʰa̠ːpʰ]}} || 'cap' || Near-front; sometimes fronted and raised to {{IPAblink|a̝ː}}.{{sfnp|Gilles|Trouvain|2013|pp=70–71}} See [[Luxembourgish phonology]]
|-
|[[Malay language|Malay]]
|[[Kedah Malay|Kedah]]
|''ber'''a'''s''
|{{IPA|[bəɣaʲh]}}
|'raw rice'
|Considerably more front than in Standard Malay where it is usually central [{{IPA link|ä}}]. In final syllables that are open ended or end in a glottal stop, it is realised as a back [{{IPA link|ɒ}}]. See [[Kedah Malay]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[Norwegian language|Norwegian]] || [[Stavangersk]]{{sfnp|Vanvik|1979|p=17}} || {{lang|no|[[Norwegian alphabet|h'''a'''tt]]}} || {{IPA|[hat]}} || 'hat' || rowspan="2" | See [[Norwegian phonology]]
|-
| [[Trondheimsk]]{{sfnp|Vanvik|1979|p=15}} || {{lang|no|[[Norwegian alphabet|l'''æ'''r]]}} || {{IPA|[læ̞ːɾ]}} || 'leather'
|-
| colspan="2" | [[Polish language|Polish]]{{sfnp|Jassem|2003|p=106}} || {{lang|pl|[[Polish orthography|j'''a'''jo]]}} || {{Audio-IPA|Pl-jajo.ogg|[ˈjajɔ]}} || 'egg' || Allophone of {{IPA|/ä/}} between palatal or palatalized consonants. See [[Polish phonology]]
|-
| rowspan="2" | [[Spanish language|Spanish]] || [[Andalusian Spanish|Eastern Andalusian]]{{sfnp|Zamora Vicente|1967|p=?}} ||rowspan="2" | {{lang|es|[[Spanish alphabet|l'''a'''s m'''a'''dres]]}} ||rowspan="2" | {{IPA|[læ̞ˑ ˈmæ̞ːð̞ɾɛˑ]}}||rowspan="2" | 'the mothers'||rowspan="2"| Corresponds to {{IPAblink|ä}} in other dialects, but in these dialects they are distinct. See [[Spanish phonology]]
|-
| [[Murcian Spanish|Murcian]]{{sfnp|Zamora Vicente|1967|p=?}}
|-
| [[Swedish language|Swedish]] || Central Standard{{sfnp|Bolander|2001|p=55}}{{sfnp|Rosenqvist|2007|p=9}} || {{lang|sv|[[Swedish alphabet|b'''a'''nk]]}} || {{IPA|[baŋk]}} || 'bank' || The backness has been variously described as front {{IPA|[a]}},{{sfnp|Bolander|2001|p=55}} near-front {{IPA|[a̠]}}{{sfnp|Rosenqvist|2007|p=9}} and central {{IPAblink|ä}}.{{sfnp|Engstrand|1999|p=140}} See [[Swedish phonology]]
|-
| [[West Frisian language|West Frisian]] || Aastersk{{sfnp|van der Veen|2001|p=102}} || {{lang|fy|k'''aa'''ks}} || {{IPA|[kaːks]}} || 'ship's biscuit' || Contrasts with a back {{IPAslink|ɑː}}.{{sfnp|van der Veen|2001|p=102}} See [[West Frisian phonology]]
|}