Shadowing Practice: American English - AA [æ] Vowel - How to make the AA Vowel - Learn English Speaking with Video

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In this American English pronunciation video, we're going to learn how to pronounce the AA as in bat vowel.
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This is a sound that changes depending on the following sound, so it can either be a pure vowel or a modified vowel.
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We'll go over both in this video.
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To make the pure AA vowel, the jaw drops quite a bit.
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AA.
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The tip of the tongue stays forward, it's touching the back of the bottom front teeth.
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AA.
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The back part of the tongue stretches up.
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The tongue is wide.
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AA.
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Because the tongue is high in the back and low in the front, you can see a lot of it.
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This is different from the AH as in Father vowel, for example, where the tongue presses down in the back and you see more dark space in the mouth.
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AA, AH.
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You can also see the corners of the mouth pull back and up a little bit.
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AA.
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Let's take a look at the pure AA vowel, up close and in slow motion.
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The tongue tip is down and the back of the tongue lifts.
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Here's the word SAT.
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The tongue position is easy to see because of the jaw drop needed for this vowel.
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When AA is in a stressed syllable, the vowel will go up and come down in pitch.
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AA SAT AA In an unstressed syllable,
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the vowel is flatter and lower in pitch, quieter.
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Ah.
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This vowel is unstressed in the second syllable of backtrack.
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Let's look up close and in slow motion.
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In the first stressed syllable, the jaw drops, and we see the corners of the lips pull back and up for the stressed AA.
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In the unstressed syllable, the jaw drops less.
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Let's compare them.
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On top is the stressed AA.
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You can see the jaw drops more.
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For the unstressed AA, the corners of the lips are a little more relaxed than in the stressed version, where they pull slightly back and up.
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Generally, the unstressed version of a vowel or diphthong is more relaxed, and doesn't take the full mouth position.
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In this case, a little less jaw drop and relaxed lips.
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This is because unstressed syllables are shorter, so we don't take the time to make the full position.
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At the beginning of this video, I said the AA vowel is not always a pure AA.
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This vowel changes when it's followed by a nasal consonant.
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When it's followed by the M or N sounds, the tongue relaxes in the back,
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making an uh sound after AA.
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Eh-uh.
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It's not a pure AA sound.
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Unfortunately, this change is not represented in the International Phonetic alphabet.
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It's still written with the same AA symbol.
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So you just have to know when it's followed by M or N, it's different.
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We don't say, man, AA, man, with a pure aah.
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We say, man, air, air,
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relaxing the tongue and corners of the lips before the consonant.
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You can think of this UH relaxation as the UH as in butter sound, or schwa sound.
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Let's look up close and in slow motion at the word exam.
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First we see the familiar shape of the mouth when the AA is in a stressed syllable.
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Watch how the relaxation happens.
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The corners of the lips relax in, the tongue will relax down in the back, and the lips close for the M consonant.
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This relaxation of the corner of the lips
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and back of the tongue happens when the AA vowel is followed by the N consonant as well.
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For example, the word hand.
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Haaaaaaand.
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Hand.
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So when you see this symbol, followed by this symbol, or this symbol, it's no longer a pure AA.
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Think of relaxing out of the vowel, eh.
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If the next sound is the NG consonant, it's a little different.
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Rather than eh, the vowel changes into A.
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It's really like the A as in say diphthong.
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First the middle part of the tongue lifts towards the roof of the mouth, then the front part of the tongue.
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Let's watch GANG, up close, and in slow motion.
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The position for the first sound looks a lot like AA, but the part of the tongue lifting up is more forward.
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Gaaang.
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Then the front part of the tongue arches up towards the roof of the mouth, while the tongue tip remains down.
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When you see this symbol followed by this symbol, it's no longer a pure AA.
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It's more like AY, GANG, THANKS.
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Pure stressed AA.
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Sat, AA.
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Pure unstressed AA.
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Backtrack, AA.
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AA, EH.
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AA vowel modified by M.
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Exam.
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AA.
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AA vowel modified by N.
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Man.
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AA.
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AA vowel modified by NG.
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Gang.
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A. Example words.
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Repeat with me.
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Chapter, AA, chapter. Can Act Last
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Bank bypass a

Why practice speaking with this video?

Pronouncing the AA vowel sound in American English, as demonstrated in this video, is crucial for enhancing your overall English speaking practice. The AA sound is prevalent in everyday conversation, making it essential for clear communication. By engaging with the shadow speech techniques outlined, such as the jaw drop and tongue positioning, learners can significantly improve their pronunciation. When you practice with a video like this, not only do you replicate native-like sounds, but you also build confidence to speak freely, which is a fundamental aspect of effective communication.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The video presents several key structures worth noting:

  • Stressed vs. Unstressed Syllables: The differentiation between stressed and unstressed syllables in words like backtrack helps learners understand the rhythm of American English.
  • Vowel Modifications: The explanation of how the AA vowel changes when followed by nasal consonants (like M or N) introduces learners to phonetic changes and encourages them to adapt their pronunciation.
  • Comparative Examples: By contrasting the AA sound with the AH sound in father, learners can better grasp the unique characteristics of American pronunciation.

These aspects not only offer practical grammar insights but also enhance fluency in shadowing exercises, particularly when using a shadowing site or application.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While practicing the AA vowel, English learners may encounter several pronunciation challenges:

  • Words with NASAL CONSONANTS: As observed, the AA vowel often alters when followed by M or N sounds. Common words like man and exam illustrate this shift, as pronunciation leans towards a more relaxed uh sound.
  • Jaw Positioning: Many learners may naturally underestimate the extent to which they need to drop their jaw for the AA sound. Practicing with the video can help visualize this mouth movement.
  • Pitch Variation: Recognizing pitch changes in stressed versus unstressed syllables can be difficult. By shadowing the video, learners can improve their ability to modulate their voice accordingly.

Incorporating these observations into regular practice will facilitate a smoother learning experience, especially when engaging with tools like a shadowing app for more effective English speaking practice.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.