/ɑ/
General AmericanOpen the mouth wide and pull the tongue back. American 'father' /ˈfɑðɚ/.
Common slip: No universal substitution is claimed; compare the recording with the target-accent reference.
See the mouth diagram and controlled set →How to pronounce “Father”
/ɑ/ /ɑː/ /ɚ/
This page teaches controlled sound targets from our reviewed catalogue. It does not claim one universal whole-word IPA transcription: the sounds in a word can vary by speaker and target variety.
Reviewed sound focuses
/ɑː/
Received Pronunciation (British)Long version of /ɑ/. British BATH vowel — 'path' /pɑːθ/, not /pæθ/.
Common slip: American learners use /æ/. Make it long and back: jaw open, tongue retracted.
See the mouth diagram and controlled set →/ɚ/
General AmericanUnstressed R-vowel. 'Father' /ˈfɑðɚ/. Like /ɝ/ but weaker.
Common slip: No universal substitution is claimed; compare the recording with the target-accent reference.
See the mouth diagram and controlled set →Compare generated accent references
These synthesized voices are repeatable reference points, not a claim that every British or American speaker uses one identical form.
Reference: RP (Received Pronunciation)
“father”
No R sound in “father”? That’s correct: RP (Received Pronunciation)drops an R that isn’t followed by a vowel (“car” sounds like “cah”).
Reference: General American
“father”
Record the exact word
Open practice with “father” already filled in. Automated feedback is an estimate for practice, not a clinical or expert diagnosis.
Hear it in real speech
Real recordings from our search library that contain “father”.
Public domain
“The products were developed by her father, J.W. Heath, in Arkansas.”
General American
From "Mary Kay: A Leader in the Beauty Product Industry" (2025). VOA Learning English. Public domain (US government work). — “Mary Kay: A Leader in the Beauty Product Industry”
Open this clip in General American: The products were developed by her father, J.W. Heath, in Arkansas.Creator video
“like the a in father”
RP
From Oxford Online English (opens in a new tab) — “5 Key Differences Between British Pronunciation and American Pronunciation” · 497s
Open this clip in RP: like the a in fatherPublic domain
“Fateh’s parents were immigrants from Somalia. His father came to the U.S.”
General American
From "Minnesota Named Second-most Educated US State" (2024). VOA Learning English. Public domain (US government work). — “Minnesota Named Second-most Educated US State”
Open this clip in General American: Fateh’s parents were immigrants from Somalia. His father came to the U.S.Creator video
“don't say udders father”
RP
From ETJ English (opens in a new tab) — “The "TH" Sounds - Everything You Need to Know!” · 453s
Open this clip in RP: don't say udders fatherPublic domain
“The Bushes are the other father-son presidential pair George Herbert Walker Bush was elected as the 41st president.”
General American
From "Presidents’ Day in the US" (2024). VOA Learning English. Public domain (US government work). — “Presidents’ Day in the US”
Open this clip in General American: The Bushes are the other father-son presidential pair George Herbert Walker BushCreator video
“I used to believe in Father Christmas, but not any more.”
RP
From BBC Learning English (opens in a new tab) — “Tim's Pronunciation Workshop: Consonant-Vowel Linking” · 120s
Open this clip in RP: I used to believe in Father Christmas, but not any more.
Find it in available clips
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Search clips for “Father”