Asherwit Ant and aunt can sometimes sound exactly the same. It depends on where you are from. For me, when I say the word 'aunt', it sounds like 'aren't'. The 'a' in 'ant' has the same sound as the 'a' in 'and'. Sorry I can't record it for you. I think your examiners will laugh when they read your paper! Victoria

I am from California, USA, and I pronounce "aunt" and "ant" the same. By the way, you have me laughing my head off! Hahahaha! Boil the children? What??? ahahahahahaaha!

Here's a recording

Many people from the US and Canada pronounce them exactly the same.

In some parts of the United States, including the part I grew up in (the Northeast), they are pronounced _exactly_ the same. In other places, "aunt" is pronounced almost as spelled, with a diphthong. You can verify this with an English dictionary. For example, the American Heritage dictionary, using its own set of symbols, says that "ant" is pronounced "ănt," and that "aunt" is pronounced either "ănt, änt."