What is æ?

Æ (lowercase: æ) is a grapheme of the Latin alphabet. It was originally a ligature representing the Latin diphthong ae. It has been promoted to the full status of a letter in some alphabets, including Danish, Norwegian, Icelandic, and Faroese.

• Origin and History: The ligature æ derives from the classical Latin spelling of the diphthong "ae". Over time, it evolved from a visual shorthand to a character in its own right. Learn more about its history.

• Pronunciation: The pronunciation of æ varies depending on the language. In English, it's often pronounced like the "a" in "cat," or may be replaced by the digraph "ae". In Scandinavian languages and Icelandic, it represents a vowel sound different from "a" or "e." Delve into pronunciation details.

• Usage in Different Languages: As a letter, æ holds official status in various alphabets:

  • Danish and Norwegian: Represents a distinct vowel sound, often close to "eh" in "bed".
  • Icelandic and Faroese: A monophthong vowel sound.
  • Old English: Used extensively, eventually replaced by 'a' in many words. See its linguistic usage for more details.

• Computing and Encoding: Æ has its own Unicode code points, allowing it to be represented in digital text:

  • U+00C6 for Æ (Latin capital letter AE)
  • U+00E6 for æ (Latin small letter ae) Explore its digital encoding more.

• Other Uses: Beyond language, æ can appear in various contexts:

  • Phonetics: Represents a specific vowel sound in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
  • Brand Names: Occasionally used for stylistic purposes in brand names or logos. Check out other uses.