A

Unicode name	LATIN CAPITAL LETTER A
Codepoint	U+0041
@ ← Basic Latin → B

See also Appendix:Variations of "a"

Translingual

Etymology 1

From Ancient Greek letter Α (a, “alpha”), derived from the Phoenician letter 𐤀 (ʼ, “aleph”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɑː/, /a/ (most languages)

Letter

A upper case (lower case a)

1. The first letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.

See also

• (Latin script):  Aa  Bb  Cc  Dd  Ee  Ff  Gg  Hh  Ii  Jj  Kk  Ll  Mm  Nn  Oo  Pp  Qq  Rr  Ss  Tt  Uu  Vv  Ww  Xx  Yy  Zz
• (Variations of letter A):   Áá  Àà  Ââ  Ǎǎ  Ăă  Ãã  Ảả  Ȧȧ  Ạạ  Ää  Åå  Ḁḁ  Āā  Ąą  ᶏ  Ⱥⱥ  Ȁȁ  Ấấ  Ầầ  Ẫẫ  Ẩẩ  Ậậ  Ắắ  Ằằ  Ẵẵ  Ẳẳ  Ặặ  Ǻǻ  Ǡǡ  Ǟǟ  Ȁȁ  Ȃȃ  Ɑɑ  ᴀ  Ɐɐ  ɒ  Ａａ Ææ  Ǽǽ  Ǣǣ  Ꜳꜳ  Ꜵꜵ  Ꜷꜷ  Ꜹꜹ  Ꜻꜻ
• Appendix:Variations of "a"

Symbol

A

1. Marks the first item in a list

   A. Go to the store. B. Get some food. C. Return home. D. Eat.

2. (computing) The hexadecimal digit for 10

   0x0000000A

   The value is hexadecimal A0, or decimal 160.

See also

• (previous) 9, (next) B

Related terms

Letters sharing the same origin as "A"

Arabic ا (a, “alif”) Coptic Ⲁ (a, “alfa”) Cyrillic А (A) Devanāgari अ (a, “aksara”)

Greek Α (A, “Alpha”) Hebrew א (a, “aleph”) Phoenician 𐤀 Syriac ܐ (a, “alaph”)

Etymology 2

Abbreviation of various terms.

Symbol

A

1. (physics, International System of Units) ampere, a unit of electrical current.
2. (genetics) IUPAC 1-letter abbreviation for adenine in genetic code.
3. (biochemistry) IUPAC 1-letter abbreviation for alanine in proteins.
4. (stock symbol) Symbol for the company Agilent Technologies, Inc. on the NYSE.

See also

Other representations of A:

NATO phonetic: Alpha Morse code: ·– Braille: ⠁ ASL Manual: A

Signal flag:

Semaphore:

• Letter styles
• 

  Capital and lowercase versions of A, in normal and italic type

• 

  Uppercase and lowercase A in Fraktur

• 

  A in uncial script

External links

• A on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

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English

Etymology 1

From Middle English and Old English upper case letter A and split of Middle English and Old English upper case letter Æ.

• Old English upper case letter A from 7th century replacement by Latin upper case letter A of the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc letter ᚪ (a, “āc”), derived from Runic letter ᚫ (a, “Ansuz”).
• Old English upper case letter Æ from 7th century replacement by Latin upper case ligature Æ of the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc letter ᚫ (æ, “æsc”), also derived from Runic letter ᚫ (a, “Ansuz”).

Alternative forms

• (Gregg shorthand versions Centennial,Series 90, DJS, Simplified, Anniversary, and Pre-Anniversary) · (“dot”)

Pronunciation

• (letter name)
  • (RP, GenAm) IPA: /eɪ̯/, SAMPA: /eI/

  • Audio (US)

    (file)

  • (Australia) IPA: /æɪ/, SAMPA: /{I/
• Rhymes: -eɪ

  The current pronunciation is a comparatively modern sound, and has taken the place of what, till about the early part of the 15th century, was similar to that in other languages.

Letter

A uppercase (lowercase a)

1. The first letter of the English alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.

   Apple starts with A.

Related terms

• A frame
• ABC, A.B.C.
• A to Z

See also

• (Latin script letters) letter; Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, Zz ^[edit]

Number

A upper case (lower case a)

1. The ordinal number first, derived from this letter of the English alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.

   The item A is "foods", the item B is "drinks".

Etymology 2

• (highest rank, grade, music): From the initial position of the letter A in the English alphabet.
• (blood type): From A antigen
• (vehicle-distinguishing signs): From Australia

Symbol

A

1. The highest rank on any of various scales that assign letters.

   We assign each item inspected a rating from A through G, depending on various factors.

2. (education) The highest letter grade assigned (disregarding plusses and minuses).

   I was so happy to get an A on that test.

3. (music) A tone three fifths above C in the cycle of fifths; the sixth tone of the C major scale; the reference tone that occurs at exactly 440 Hz.

   Orchestras traditionally tune to a concert A.

4. (medicine) A blood type that has a specific antigen that aggravates the immune response in people with type B antigen in their blood. They may receive blood from type A or type O, but cannot receive blood from AB or B.

   My blood type is A negative.

5. (vehicle-distinguishing signs) Austria

Derived terms

Rank or size

AA double A AAA triple A A cup

A game A levels A list A team grade A

Letter grade

straight A's

A minus A plus

(music) tone three fifths above C

A-flat A major A-minor

A-sharp concert A

Blood type

A positive A negative

Abbreviation

A

1. (Webster 1913) Adjective.
2. (often with ‘Q’ for “Question”) Answer
3. Asian
4. Admit
5. Application
6. asynchron
7. Augsburg
8. (physics) angstrom
9. (weaponry) atom
10. (sports) An assist.

Synonyms

• (physics, angstrom): Å

Derived terms

• (weaponry, atom): A-bomb

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: little · now · then · #79: A · should · can · made

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American Sign Language

Alternative forms

• (with the thumb extended) OpenA

Etymology

From French Sign Language sign for the letter A.

Production

This one-handed ASL sign is produced as follows:

• Posture the dominant hand in the “A” handshape .

Letter

(Stokoe A)

1. The letter A

See also

• Index:American Sign Language/A

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Azeri

Letter

A upper case (lower case a)

1. The first letter of the Azeri alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin script letters) hərf; Aa, Bb, Cc, Çç, Dd, Ee, Əə, Ff, Gg, Ğğ, Hh, Xx, Iı, İi, Jj, Kk, Qq, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Öö, Pp, Rr, Ss, Şş, Tt, Uu, Üü, Vv, Yy, Zz ^[edit]

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Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA: /a/

Letter

A upper case (lower case a)

1. The first letter of the Catalan alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin script letters) alfabet català; Aa, Bb, Cc, (Çç), Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, (L·Ll·l), Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, Zz ^[edit]

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA: /a/

• Audio

  (file)

Letter

A upper case (lower case a)

1. The first letter of the Dutch alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin script letters) Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, Zz ^[edit]

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Esperanto

Pronunciation

• (letter name): IPA: /a/
• (phoneme): IPA: /a/

Letter

A upper case (lower case a)

1. The first letter of the Esperanto alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin script letters) litero; Aa, Bb, Cc, Ĉĉ, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Ĝĝ, Hh, Ĥĥ, Ii, Jj, Ĵĵ, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Rr, Ss, Ŝŝ, Tt, Uu, Ŭŭ, Vv, Zz ^[edit]

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Finnish

Abbreviation

A

1. approbatur

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French

Letter

A upper case (lower case a)

1. The first letter of the French alphabet, written in the Latin script.
2. capital form of à
3. capital form of â

Derived terms

• bombe A
• prouver par A plus B, prouver par A + B

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German

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ʔaː/

• Audio

  (file)

Letter

A upper case (lower case a)

1. The first letter of the German alphabet, written in the Latin script.

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Italian

Wikipedia ^it

Pronunciation

• (phoneme; name of letter) IPA: /a/

  Homophones: a, ha

Letter

A m. and f. inv. (lower case a)

1. The first letter of the Italian alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin script letters) lettera; Aa, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, (Jj), (Kk), Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Tt, Uu, Vv, (Ww), (Xx), (Yy), Zz ^[edit]
• Italian alphabet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia:Italian alphabet

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Latin

Pronunciation

• audio (ecclesiastical)

  (file)

Letter

A upper case (lower case a)

1. (sometimes with littera) The first letter of the Latin alphabet, written in the Latin script.
   • C. Ennius Lucilius apud Terent, Scaur. p. 2255 P.:

     A primum est: hinc incipiam, et quae nomina ab hoc sunt

   • M. Tullius Cicero’s De Divinatione ad M. Brutum 1, 13, 23:

     sus rostro si humi A litteram impresserit

   • M. T. Quintilianus 1, 5, 61:

     ne in A quidem atque S litteras exire temere masculina Graeca nomina recto casu patiebantur

Abbreviation

A

1. (in dates) ante (“before”)

   A. D. — ante diem

2. (in dates) anno, annus (“year”)

   A. U. C. — anno urbis conditae

   A. P. R. C. — anno post Romam conditam

3. Aulus (a Roman given name)
   • Inscriptiones Orelli 1530: A. A. — Auli duo
4. aquae (“waters”)
   • Inscriptiones Orelli 1643 sequens; 2620; 3011: A.A. — Aquae Aponi (“Abano Terme”)
5. auro, argento, or aeri (the three directors of the mint)
   • Inscriptiones Orelli 569; 2242; 2379; 3134 alia: III. VIRI A. A. A. F. F. — auro, argento, aeri flando, feriundo
6. agris (“fields”)
   • A. D. A. — agris dandis adsignandis
   • A. I. A. — agris judicandis adsignandis
7. (upon the voting tablets in judicial trials) absolvo (“I free”, “I acquit”)
8. (in the Roman Comitia) antiquo — “I leave in its former state”, “I reject” [e.g. the point in question]
9. amicō (“friend”)

   A. O. — amico optimo — “best friend”

10. a (“to”)

    A. P. — a populo

11. aediliciae

    A. P. — aediliciae potestatis

12. aerario

    A. P. R. — aerario populi Romani

13. (in Cicero's Tusculanae Disputationes, “Tusculan Disputations”) adulescens or auditor, one of the disputants, as opposed to M. for magister or Marcus

See also

• littera

References

• Lewis and Short’s Latin Dictionary, Oxford, 1879

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Luxembourgish

Pronunciation

• IPA: /a/

Noun

A n. (plural Aen)

1. eye

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Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA: /a/

Letter

A upper case (lower case a)

1. The first letter of the Romanian alphabet, written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin script letters) Aa, Ăă, Ââ, Bb, Cc, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Îî, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Qq, Rr, Ss, Şş, Tt, Ţţ, Uu, Vv, Ww, Xx, Yy, Zz ^[edit]

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Scots

Etymology

Old English iċ.

Pronunciation

• (stressed) IPA: /ɑː/
• (unstressed) IPA: /ə/

Pronoun

A (first person singular, emphatic I)

1. I

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Slovene

Wikipedia ^sl

Letter

A upper case (lower case a)

1. The first letter of the Slovene alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Related terms

• od A do Ž

See also

• (Latin script letters) Aa, Bb, Cc, Čč, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Hh, Ii, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp, Rr, Ss, Šš, Tt, Uu, Vv, Zz, Žž ^[edit]

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Somali

Pronunciation

• (phoneme): IPA: /æ/, /ɑ/
• (letter name): IPA: /ʔæ/

Letter

A upper case (lower case a)

1. The twenty-third letter of the Somali alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.

Usage notes

1. The twenty-third letter of the Somali alphabet, which follows Arabic abjad order. It is preceded by Y and followed by E.

See also

• (Latin script letters) '', Bb, Tt, Jj, Xx, KHkh, Dd, Rr, Ss, SHsh, DHdh, Cc, Gg, Ff, Qq, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Ww, Hh, Yy, Aa, Ee, Ii, Oo, Uu ^[edit]

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Spanish

Letter

A upper case (lower case a)

1. The first letter of the Spanish alphabet, written in the Latin script.

Noun

A m.

1. (chess) bishop

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Turkish

Letter

A upper case (lower case a)

1. The first letter of the Turkish alphabet, called a and written in the Latin script.

See also

• (Latin script letters) harf; Aa, Bb, Cc, Çç, Dd, Ee, Ff, Gg, Ğğ, Hh, Iı, İi, Jj, Kk, Ll, Mm, Nn, Oo, Öö, Pp, Rr, Ss, Şş, Tt, Uu, Üü, Vv, Yy, Zz ^[edit]

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Vietnamese

Letter

A

1. The first letter of the Vietnamese alphabet.

See also

• Next letter: Ă

Interjection

A!

1. hah!