Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

soft a

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.68 in modern English

Syllables: soft- a
IPA

8

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The schwa at the end of the African-American Vernacular English word nigga, as contrasted with the hard r at the end of the word nigger when spoken with a General American accent (which is considered very offensive).

American usage; Informal

Example Sentences

"First and foremost / You are under no circumstances / Ever permitted / To say the n-word / I don't care if it's soft a or hard r"
"Opinions will continue to differ about the N-word — does pronunciation that ends in a soft “a” versus a hard “r” make a difference?"

Usage

American usage
Informal

Inflected Forms

soft a's (plural)

Questions

What does soft a mean?: The schwa at the end of the African-American Vernacular English word nigga, as contrasted with the hard r at the end of the word nigger when spoken with a General American accent (which is considered very offensive).

How to pronounce soft a

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “soft a”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “soft a”.
Repeat and practice — Say “soft a” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.