What Does ā Mean? The Macron Vowel Symbols (ā ē ī ō ū) Explained
June 5, 2026
You saw ā in a dictionary or phonics workbook and wondered what the line over the vowel means. That mark is a macron, and it tells you the vowel is long. Here is how ā, ē, ī, ō, and ū map to real American English sounds and IPA.
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