a
Plurala's
- 1Used before a noun to talk about one of something, without saying which one.
Can you lend me a pen?
We saw a fox in the yard last night.
UsageUse a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound: a cat, an egg.
Note
- 2Used in phrases about how much or how many, like a few, a couple, a little, a bit and a lot.
Can I ask you a few questions?
There's a little milk left in the fridge.
UsageA few means some; few means not many. A bit tired is softer than tired.
Note
- 3Used between a price or amount and a unit to mean for each one, as in five dollars a pound.
These tomatoes cost three dollars a pound.
My car gets forty miles a gallon on the highway.
UsageUse it for prices: three dollars a pound. In formal writing, per is more usual.
Similarper
Note
- 4Used before a describing word that comes before a number and a noun, as in a full two weeks.
The trip took a full ten hours.
She waited a long forty minutes for the bus.
UsagePut a word like mere, full or whopping between a and the number: a full ten hours.
Note
Less common meanings
- 5Used to mean one before words like dozen, hundred, or million.
There must be a hundred people waiting in line.
Mom bought a dozen eggs for the party.
UsageSay a hundred or one hundred. A hundred times often just means many times.
Note
- 6Used with words like not or never to mean not even one.
I didn't hear a sound all night.
There wasn't a cloud in the sky.
UsageAdd single to make the statement stronger: not a single person came.
- 7Used before a word for a time period to mean each or every, as in twice a day.
I feed my cat twice a day.
We go swimming three times a week.
UsageUse it between a number or amount and a time word: twice a day, once a week.
Similarper
Note
- 8The first letter of the English alphabet, written A or a.
Her lowercase a looks just like her o.
The word banana has three a's.
UsageWrite more than one as a's: two a's.
Note
- 9The best mark on a scale that uses letters, especially the top grade for school work.
She worked hard and got an A on her science test.
He gets straight A's in math.
UsageSay an A. You get an A on a test.
Note
- 10Used to mean any or every, when other words tell which kind of person or thing.
A child who reads every day learns new words quickly.
Teachers love a student who asks good questions.
- 11Used before a name to mean someone or something like that person or place.
My little brother thinks he's a Picasso.
With all its bright lights, our main street is a mini Las Vegas.
UsageThe name keeps its capital letter: he thinks he's a Picasso.
- 12Used before a person's name when you know little else about them.
A Mr. Jones called while you were out.
This letter is for a Tom Baker, but nobody on our street knows him.
- 13AY/eɪ/The name of the letter A or a.
The kids sang the alphabet song, starting with a, bee, cee.
The name of the letter a rhymes with day.
UsageMore than one is usually written a's.
Note
- 14The sixth note in the C major scale. Orchestras often tune their instruments to it.
Sing an A and hold it for four beats.
Everyone in the band tuned to the A from the piano.
UsageSay an A. For the key, say A major or A minor.
Note
- 15A blood type with the A marker, but not the B marker, on its red blood cells.
My blood type is A, the same as my mom's.
The hospital needs donors with type A blood.
UsagePeople usually say A positive or A negative: my blood is type A.
Note
- 16Used before a word like happy or tired and a person's name, to show how they feel right then.
After the game, a tired Maria went straight to bed.
A happy Leo showed everyone his new bike.
- 17The same, used in a few fixed phrases like two of a kind.
You and your dad are two of a kind.
The three puppies were all of a size, so we couldn't tell them apart.
UsageComes after of in set phrases: two of a kind, all of a size.
Note
- 18AY/eɪ/Short for ace: the playing card with one symbol on it, often the highest card.
Put the cards in order from A to K.
Her cards were the A and 10 of hearts.
Similarace
- 19Alternative spelling of a.m.: in the morning, put after a time, mostly in the US.
UsageComes after the time: 7 a. Use a.m. if readers may not know it.
- 20AY/eɪ/Short for answer: used to mark a reply, as in Q and A.
Q: What time does the pool open? A: At nine.
After the talk, there was time for Q and A.
Similaranswer
- 21Means first, shown by the letter a. It labels the first thing in a list that uses letters.
Start with part a, then go on to part b.
In the outline, point a comes before point b.
UsagePut it after the word: part a, then part b.
- 22
- 23Used before a word ending in -ing to mean in the middle of doing it.
Every Saturday, Grandpa went a-fishing at the lake.
Jacob, when he was a dying
1611, The Holy Bible, King James VersionHere, a dying means in the middle of dying, at the point of death.Note
- 24AY/eɪ/Short for adult: a movie rating for films meant for grown-ups.
The new horror movie is rated A.
My parents won't let me watch films rated A.
Similaradult
- 25AY/eɪ/Short for asexual: a word for a person who feels little or no sexual attraction to anyone.
UsageYou mostly see it in LGBTQIA. Alone, write asexual.
- 26Pronunciation spelling of to: how to can sound in fast, casual speech.
“I'm goin' a tell Mom,” the little boy shouted.
“We're tryin' a get some sleep in here!”
UsageUsed to show fast speech in dialogue. In normal writing, use to.
- 27Means going to, used to talk about what you will do.
I'm a call you when I get home.
Hold on, I'm a grab my jacket.
UsageIt comes after I'm: I'm a call you later.
Note
- 28Into parts, when something is split or broken up.
- 29In a certain state, as in a-bed meaning in bed.
- 30Tells where something is or which way it goes.
- 31Before an -ing word, shows something is being done, as in a house a-building.
The times, they are a-changin'.
1964, Bob Dylan, “The Times They Are a-Changin'” - 32Showing movement toward a place or into something.
- 33Showing how something is done or what it is done with.
Stands here a purpose.
c. 1589, Christopher Marlo[we], The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. - 34In, when talking about the role someone has.
- 35A short spoken form of have, as in I would a gone.
- 36A short spoken form of had, as in if I a seen it.
I wisht you a seen 'im; fust he looked mighty gubious; then he begins ter laff. He'll git likened ter ridin' mighty briefly."
1887, Octave Thanet [pseudonym; Alice French], “The Mortgage on Jeffy” - 37An old or local word used for he, she or they as a subject.
- 38An old or local word meaning he.
- 39An old or local word meaning she.
- 40A short spoken way of saying of.
What time a day is it?
c. 1597, William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth,” - 41A Scottish way of saying all, meaning completely.
- 42A Scottish way of saying all, meaning every or the whole.
- 43A short way of saying and when talking fast.
By cock a pie and Mous-foot Dent bring's in, / Examples to express forbidden Sin:
1655, William Barton, Man's Monitor - 44The symbol for how far a wing's aerodynamic center is from its front edge.
- 45A sign for how much light a substance soaks up.
- 46A sign for how much a substance turns a beam of polarized light.
- 47The small letter used for a form of a gene whose effect can be masked by another form.
- 48Short for across in crossword clue numbers.
- 49A sound with no meaning added to song words to fit the beat.
- 50The name we use for the first letter of the Russian alphabet and others like it.
- 51A sound people make when they stop to think, like uh.
- 52When counting music, the word said on the last quarter of each beat.
- 53A sign for how many protons and neutrons an atom has.
- 54In logic, a sign for a statement that says all of one thing are another.
- 55A letter once put on people found guilty of cheating in marriage, to shame them.
- 56The capital letter used for a form of a gene whose effect shows even alongside another form.
- 57A short way to write acre, a measure of land.
- 58A sign for a tool that measures electric current.
- 59The symbol for the angstrom, a very tiny unit of length used for atoms and light waves.
- 60Short for assist in sports scores and stats.
- 61Short for arsehole, a rude word for the anus or a nasty person.
- 62A short way to write atom.
- 63A short way to write atomic, as in A-bomb.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origins
The name of the letter comes from Middle English and Old French, and goes back to Latin.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact
- The letter name comes through Middle English and Old French from Latin. en.wiktionary.org
A short form of a word that starts with A.
Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 1 fact
- In the relevant senses, A originates as a shortened form of a term beginning with A. en.wiktionary.org
From the Old English word for "one", which lost its n before consonant sounds.
Checked 3 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- The article derives from the Old English word meaning "one". en.wiktionary.org
- The n was lost before consonant sounds. en.wikipedia.org
The article began as the Old English word for one and later got shorter. The grade and music uses come from A being the first letter.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- The article developed by shortening the Old English word for one. en.wiktionary.org
- The grade and music senses derive from A's initial position in the alphabet. en.wiktionary.org
From an old English word meaning 'on'. It is a weak, unstressed form of on.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- This a derives from Old English. en.wiktionary.org
- The Old English source word meant 'on'. en.wiktionary.org
- This a is a weak, unstressed form of on. en.wiktionary.org
A short form of gonna, which itself is a short form of going to.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- a is a short form of gonna. en.wiktionary.org
- gonna is a short form of going to. en.wiktionary.org