In order to study the size effect on the AE rate ‘a’ value, three kinds of mix ratios were set up by different particle sizes and water cement ratios, 45 cement mortar specimens with ifve different heights were tested under axial compression. And the whole damage processes were monitored by full-digital acoustic emission acquisition system, followed by an analysis of mechanical behavior and AE activity. The experimental results show that the height of the cement specimen has signiifcant effects on the compressive strength and the acoustic emission rate ‘a’ value, but a slight effect on the accumulated AE hits number, which is analyzed from aspects of failure process of cement mortar specimens.