Decoding exercises: "al"

The letter combination "al" has several different pronunciations. This article sets out some words teachers can use to help their students become more aware of the differences.

"all"

• /ɔːl/: all - ball - call - fall - hall - install - small - tall - wall
• /əl/: allergic - allow - parallel

Ending in "ally": actually - finally - normally

• /l/: basically - practically - specifically - technically - typically
• /æl/: allergy - alligator - ballet - challenge - Halloween - metallic - shall - shallow - valley
• /ɒl/: swallow - wallet

"alk"

• Always /ɔː/: chalk - stalk - talk - walk

At the beginning of the word

• /ɔːl/: almost - already - also - alternative - although - always
• /əl/: alarm - Alaska - alert - alive - alone - along
• /æl/: Alabama - album - alcohol - Algeria - alphabet
• /ɑː/: almond

At the end of the word

• Magic e, /eɪl/: female, male, sale, scale
• /əl/: animal, capital, final, general, hospital, national, local, personal, political, several, total

Followed by consonants

• /æ/^AmE, /ɑː/^BrE: calf, half
• /ɑː/: calm, palm
• /ɔːl/: bald, salt
• /əl/: Donald, emerald, Ronald

In the middle of the word

• /æl/: analysis - balance - calculate - personality - salary - talent - valuable - value
• /æ/: salmon
• /eɪl/: Australia
• /ɒl/: qualify
• /ɑːl/: Guatemala
• /ɔːl/: false - Walter
• /əl/: analyse^BrE - analyze^AmE - equally - equivalent - Italy - journalist - penalty

Variant pronunciations

• /æl,^BrE el^AmE/: marshmallow

See also

• Decoding written words
• Decoding the letter A
• Decoding the letter L