What is This Letter/Symbol "Æ"

[Leliana]

Basically the same to the German 'Ä'.

[Corvus]

I am surprised that there is such a letter in English.
In German it is frequently used: Archäologie or ändern , älter werden etc.

[Ánleifr]

I am surprised that there is such a letter in English.
In German it is frequently used: Archäologie or ändern , älter werden etc.

I beleive that it is considered "Old English". I don't think that it is used in modern English, at least I have never seen it.

[Rødskjegg]

You pronounce it as the a in "ass" in American English.

[Pretan]

æ was dropped out of the English language just like the letter "þ". "þ" = th, its capital looked similar to the letter "Y", that's why you get people writing "ye olde" without knowing it's still pronounced with the "th".
I believe both letters were used in Middle English.

I would like to see these used again, but I guess it would just add extra complexity for some non-native speakers.

[Caismeachd]

æ was dropped out of the English language just like the letter "þ". "þ" = th, its capital looked similar to the letter "Y", that's why you get people writing "ye olde" without knowing it's still pronounced with the "th".
I believe both letters were used in Middle English.

I would like to see these used again, but I guess it would just add extra complexity for some non-native speakers.

It would actually simplify things for non native speakers because English has no letter pronunciation rules or vowel harmony like most other languages.

[Comte Arnau]

In theory, German ä is an /ɛ/, so not exactly the same sound. English /æ/ sounds in between an /a/ and that /ɛ/, as in cat. What happens is that Germans tend to use /ɛ/ for the English /æ/, as seen in the German pronunciation of the word Jazz.

[Arthas]

Interestingly, this letter is used in the Ossetian language.

[Allenson]

Ællenson!