Short a; consonants m, n, s, t, x

Grade 1 · Day 1 · Alpha-Phonics Lesson 1 · p.3 · 25.0 min · teacher edition of the student sheet
tongue herevoice ON/æ/short a · front-low vowel
/æ/ · short a

Our new sound: /æ/   written short a

Open your mouth WIDE and pull your lips back like a big smile. Tongue low and forward — /a/, as in 'cat'.

Check yourself: Hand under your chin: this is the one where your jaw drops the most. Mirror: widest smile of the five.

Watch for: /ɛ/ (short e). The two are neighbours; the jaw is the difference.

Build the word

a  →  m  →  am
a  →  n  →  an
a  →  s  →  as
a  →  t  →  at
a  →  x  →  ax