This is a particular problem for non-native English speakers who struggle to get to grips with associating the sound of a word with the correct article. The rule is to use a before words beginning with a consonant sound and an before words beginning with a vowel sound:
Here are some examples to help you get to grips with the rule:
- A cat
- A dog
- A snake
- A frappe
- An egg
- An hour
- An example
- An elephant
Confusion exists with certain words beginning with “h”. This is because not everyone pronounces the “h” at the beginning of certain words. For example, depending upon the person speaking, one might hear either “a historic occasion” or “an historic occasion.” Either is correct in writing, although most Americans
would probably say “a historic.”
There are some common English “h” words that require an such as heir, heiress, heirloom, honest, honor, honorable and hour:
- an honorable woman
- an heir to the throne
- an hour before
- an honest man
Where abbreviations, numerals and symbols are concerned it depends upon pronunciation. For example, some examples from the Chicago Manual of Style are as follows:
- a URL
- an @ sign
- an NBC anchor
- a CBS anchor
Where letters are pronounced one at a time use the consonant/vowel rule: for example you would write “an SUV” because SUV is pronounced one letter at a time and the sound of S is “ess.” On the other hand you would write “a JCB” because JCB is pronounced one letter at a time and the sound of J is “jay.”