Pronunciation of Aunt

The word aunt has two pronunciations. One is with the back vowel of father and the other is with the front vowel of ant. In the USA the front vowel is the most common, but in England the back vowel dominates.

In the USA the back vowel is common in the northeast, but in the rest of the country, the front vowel is the most common. In England the back vowel is used in the south, but the front vowel is used in the north. In Scotland and Ireland, the front vowel is common. For speakers who use the front vowel, the words ant and aunt sound the same.

In Canada the front vowel is common, but many speakers from Atlantic Canada use the back vowel. In Australia, New Zealand and South Africa the back vowel is common.For these speakers ant and aunt are pronounced differently.

Many speakers who pronounce aunt with the back vowel have the trap/bath split. However, this is not always the case because a number of Americans lack the trap/bath split but use the back vowel. In England, those who pronounce aunt with the back vowel have the trap/bath split.

The pronunciation of aunt varies. In southern England, the back vowel is common, but in the USA the front vowel dominates. Most Americans who use the back vowel are from the northeast.