Blend the article sound before a noun
A or an before consonants or vowels
A
Using “A” or “AN” depends on pronunciation, which may vary among speakers of English around the world. Words beginning with h, u, w and y need special attention. Pronouncing the word helps us decide which article to use.
Rules How to use “A”
1. BEFORE A CONSONANT SOUND
a baby, a lemon, a car,
2. BEFORE AN H SOUND IN A STRESSED SYLLABLE
a house wife , a hurricane, a history,
a horror movie, a helicopter, a hanger, a handkerchief, a herb
3. BEFORE AN H SOUND IN AN UNSTRESSED SYLLABLE
a hotel , a horrific event, a historical event, a hysterical moment, a hypothesis
The use of a/an varies in these words depending on whether h , is pronounced or is silent. (dialectal variation)
4. BEFORE A W SOUND
a one-hour break /wʌn
a wonderful life, “not a one”
5. BEFORE A Y SOUND
a university /yu-/
a unit, a eulogy, a youth
Rules How to use “AN”
An is used before words with silent initial letters and with some letters and numbers. Syllable stress in words of multiple syllables also affects a speaker’s choice of a or
a n.
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1. BEFORE A VOWEL SOUND
an apple, an eye, an opening, an urn, an initial
2. BEFORE SILENT H IN A STRESSED SYLLABLE
an hour , an honor, an honest man, *an herb /ɜrb/
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3. BEFORE SILENT H IN AN UNSTRESSED SYLLABLE
an hotel, an horrific event, an
historical event, an hysterical moment, an hypothesis
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4. BEFORE SOME NAMES OF LETTERS
an MP, an NAACP resolution, give me
an A , give me an R , give me an S
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5. BEFORE SOME NUMBERS
an 800 number, an 11 -person group.
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