▁Modern ▁English ▁ph on eme ▁ ▁was ▁length ened ▁in ▁certain ▁environments ▁and ▁ultimately ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁long ▁ ▁of ▁father . ▁In ▁this ▁context , ▁the ▁length ened ▁v owel ▁in ▁words ▁such ▁as ▁bath , ▁laugh , ▁grass , ▁chance ▁in ▁acc ents ▁affected ▁by ▁the ▁split ▁is ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁a ▁broad ▁A ▁( also , ▁in ▁the ▁UK , ▁long ▁A ). ▁ ▁Ph on et ically , ▁the ▁v owel ▁is ▁ ▁in ▁Rece ived ▁Pr on unci ation ▁( R P ); ▁in ▁some ▁other ▁acc ents , ▁including ▁Australian ▁and ▁New ▁Zealand ▁acc ents , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁fr on ter ▁v owel ▁( ▁or ▁), ▁and ▁it ▁tends ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁rounded ▁and ▁short ened ▁ ▁in ▁Broad ▁South ▁African ▁English . ▁A ▁ ▁split ▁also ▁occurs ▁in ▁the ▁acc ents ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁Atlantic ▁United ▁States ▁( New ▁York , ▁Baltimore , ▁and ▁Philadelphia ▁acc ents ), ▁but ▁it ▁results ▁in ▁very ▁different ▁v owel ▁qual ities ▁to ▁the ▁a for ement ioned ▁British - type ▁split ▁and ▁so , ▁to ▁avoid ▁confusion , ▁is ▁usually ▁referred ▁to ▁in ▁American ▁lingu istics ▁as ▁a ▁" short - a ▁split ". ▁ ▁In ▁acc ents ▁una ffect ed ▁by ▁the ▁split , ▁words ▁like ▁bath , ▁laugh , ▁etc . ▁usually ▁have ▁the ▁same ▁v owel ▁as ▁words ▁like ▁cat , ▁trap , ▁man : ▁the ▁short ▁A ▁or ▁flat ▁A . ▁Similar ▁changes ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁words ▁with ▁; ▁see ▁lot – cl oth