Sounds and letters - two different things in English

In many words, the letter of the alphabet 'A' is pronounced /eɪ/  

 

e.g. grade

But most of the time it is pronounced /æ/  

 

e.g. Bachelor, practical, lab, graduate

It can also be pronounced / ɑː/  

 

e.g. pass,  class, Master

When you have a combination i+consonant+vowel, you pronounce it /eɪ/.   

 

e.g. rat → / æ /                rate → / eɪ /    

       plan → / æ /              plane → / eɪ /

      mad → / æ /               made→ / eɪ /

That is why you have to double the final letter in comparative forms not to change the pronunciation: e.g. fat → fatter

▪ If you add 'r' after the 'a', the pronunciation is different again, as you pronounce it /ɑː/    

 

e.g. car → / ɑː/

or /eə/  

e.g.  care →/ eə /

When you have a combination    a  +  r  +  vowel, you pronounce it / eə/   

e.g. sharing →/ eə /