What is the difference between A°and …

à” is a preposition of location (with feminine article “la”: at home: à la maison), of possession (in the west of the country (Paul’s dog : le chien à paul (standard French : le chien de Paul)), has some other usages as well related to the prepposition “de”, and sounds exactly like the standard french “a” (the accent on “à” somehow transcripts (in writing only, the spelling is the very same) an archaic expression of an extended locative case) and like “a” in “patagonia” for exemple.

“au” has the same use, but will be used with masculine non-personnal names (as the contraction of “a+le”, ex : I’m going to the woods : Je vais au bois (singular) ; aux bois (plural) ; possessive (western French) : the priest’s car : la voiture au prêtre) but will sound like the french “o” in “poteau”, and the english “o” in “obliterate”.