Ae

The letter combination "ae" has several different pronunciations; however the only common word is aeroplane (replaced by airplane in American English). This article sets out some words teachers can use to help their students become more aware of the differences.

Words with a global spelling

• As /eə/: aerial^BrE - aerobics - aeroplane^BrE
• As /ə/: Michael
• As /iː/: algae, antennae (plural of antenna as part of an insect) - Caesar - larvae (plural of larva)
• As /aɪ/: maestro - tae kwon do
• As /eɪ/: Israel - Israeli - reggae
• As /eɪ/, /iː/ or /ɪ/: sundae

As two separate sounds:

• Israel: /ˈɪzriːəl/ (also /ˈɪzreɪl/)

Past tense of verbs ending in "a"

• As /ə/: congaed, rumbaed, salsaed, sambaed, scubaed, subpoenaed /səˈpiːnəd/

Graeco-Latin words

Most words with "ae" are of Greek or Latin origin, and many of them are spelled or pronounced differently in British English and American English.

As /iː/

British spelling	American spelling
aeolian	eolian
anaemia	anemia
archaeology	archaeology - archeology
caesium	cesium
encyclopedia - encyclopaedia	encyclopedia
faeces	feces
Graeco-	Greco-
haemoglobin	hemoglobin
hyena - hyaena	hyena - hyaena
leukaemia	leukemia
medieval - mediaeval	medieval - mediaeval
orthopaedic - orthopedic	orthopedic
paediatrician	pediatrician
Palaeolithic	Paleolithic

Other

British spelling	Br pr	American spelling	Am pr
aesthetic	/iː, e/	aesthetic - esthetic	/e/
anaesthesia	/ə/	anesthesia	/ə/
caesarean	/ɪ/	Cesarean, cesarean, Caesarean, caesarean	/ɪ/
gynaecologist	/ə/	gynecologist	/ə/
haemorrhage	/e/	hemorrhage	/e/

See also

• American English v. British English § Spelling
• Decoding exercises: "oe"
• Decoding written words