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The word "a" has two pronunciations: (aa) when the mouth is widely opened and (ei) when the mouth is not wide open. I just want to know the difference between them.
People have asked questions like this before but I have not studied "pronunciation symbols" like /ə/ so I did not understand the answers.
The usual pronunciation for the indefinite article "a" is ə (schwa), which is the "aa" sound (like the first letter in "adorable").
The letter "a", however, is pronounced eɪ - "ey" as in "day".
It's rare to hear the article-a pronounced as eɪ - it usually indicates emphasis, like in "Sure, Samsung Galaxy is a (eɪ) smartphone, but iPhone is The Smartphone", when you want to emphasize that iPhone is somehow the iconic example of a smartphone.
Beyond the "Ay" being used in an analogous way as when we use "thee" for "the" it is used in other ways:
It is used when it is the beginning of a title of a book, movie, play, poem or whatever: A Midsummer Night's Dream; A Christmas Carol, etc.
There are some I don't understand the pattern of, but they sound right: A dozen eggs (I have heard that it is when you are emphasizing the "one" meaning)
A once great nation (could be because of the grouping of people that makes a nation, but it might be for reverence)
A Mrs. Reynolds called last evening. (The speaker is relaying the message but does not know Mrs. Reynolds.)
I think it is more common in warnings or dangers when you are emphasizing the uniqueness of a situation or the adjective preceding the noun. And it is used as a mild expletive or rather a subtle suggestion that one might easily have been inserted: This is quite a predicament!; You are walking a very fine line buddy!; Watch yourself! There is a very big dog on Harold's farm.; We were on the path, when a frightening wombat lunged at Vivian.; Keep your eyes open! There is a crack shot sniper that favors that hill.
In recent years the pronunciation of a as "ay" (as in day) has become almost commonplace among Tory politicians and has now spread like a contagious disease to other parties and to the broadcasting media. I have even heard a politician using the word another and pronouncing it aynother. As a consequence, the use of the ay pronunciation occasionally for emphasis is in danger of being lost.
