The /æ/ sound is spelled with <a>.
The /æ/ sound is usually stressed, which means that removing it rarely leaves a free-standing word. Many of the pairs below arise from removing an a- prefix (from Latin ad-). Sometimes this changes the meaning very little, as with affix/fix, annotate/notate, appertain/pertain and avocation/vocation. In other cases the prefix does change the meaning, as with allocate/locate or attribute/tribute.
The density value is very low at 0.08%. The set makes 57 semantic distinctions, giving a loading of 61%.
abbé bay abbés bays abbess Bess abbeys biz Abo beau Abo bow Abos bows acid Sid acquiescence quiescence acquiescences quiescences acquiescent quiescent added did adding ding address dress Adelaide delayed affix fix affixes fixes affixed fixed affluent fluent aggro grow agnostic gnostic agnosticism gnosticism agnostics gnostics Alex licks ally lie allies lies allocate locate allocated located allocates locates allocating locating allocation location allocations locations aloe low aloes lows ammunition munition anise knees annotate notate annotated notated annotates notates annotating notating annotation notation annotations notations annual newel anode node anodes nodes apache patchy apaches patches apathetic pathetic apathetically pathetically appertain pertain appertained pertained appertaining pertaining appertains pertains apposition position approbation probation arid rid aromatic rheumatic arrack rack arrow row arrows rows arrows rose Ascot Scot attic tick Attic tick attics ticks attract tracked attract tract attracts tracts attraction traction attribute tribute attributes tributes avocation vocation avocations vocations ballets blaze baluster bluster balusters blusters callipers clippers Diana Dinah gallows glows invalid invalid phallic flick piazza pizza piazzas pizzas sallow slow sallower slower saphead sped sappier spear satrap strap satraps straps Saturn stern satyr stir satyrs stirs triad tried