Why does th word great have a long -a vowel sound?

Answer 1

The combination "ea" in English typically produces three possible sounds. The most common sound is /i:/ such as in the words eat, cheat, or meat.

An alternative sound produced by "ea" phonome is the /e/ sound, such as in sweat.

Your example is one of the least common sounds produced by the "ea" combination. In words such as steak or great the ea combination produces the long 'a' sound /eɪ/.

The word 'great' probably entered English through contact with Dutch or German speakers. It cognates with the Dutch groot and the German gross. The origin of the word may have affected its spelling.

Answer 2

The word "great" has a long -a vowel sound because it follows a specific vowel pattern in English where the vowel is pronounced as a long sound before the consonant 't'. This pattern can be found in other words like "late" or "plate" as well.