[General] An or A

[Larathefatkoala]

I have read a previous thread which answers the question I wanted to ask but made me have another question. For the word Hotel do you use and a or an "an".

 

[MikeNewYork]

Since we pronounce the "h" in hotel, we use "a". It is about the sound, not the letter. In AmE, we don't pronounce the "h" in "herb", so we say "an herb". In BrE, the "h" in "herb" is pronounced, so they say "a".

 

[Tdol]

In the UK, there are very few people who still say an 'otel (the h is silent), but this is not common- I only know one person who says it. Those that do tend to be older people from the upper classes. The vast majority of BrE speakers say a hotel.

 

[MikeNewYork]

How do the majority of British speakers pronounce "historic" and "historical"?

 

[bhaisahab]

I use "an" for "hotel", "historic" and "historical". (Not upper class)

 

[Tdol]

I did say tend. ;-)

How do the majority of British speakers pronounce "historic" and "historical"?

With the h, and it's not uncommon to hear an historic with the h. I quite like an 'istoric, but not an historic.

 

[emsr2d2]

My late grandfather (born 1921) was the only person I have known to use "an (h)otel" and "an (h)istoric(al)" - the "h" was always silent. I believe that BBC newsreaders were once forces to use it too but that is certainly not the case any more.

 

[SoothingDave]

I would say "an historical," but never "an hotel."

Or "an history."

 

[bhaisahab]

I say "an 'istoric", "an 'istorical", "an 'otel" but "a history".

 

[Barb_D]

Never, ever "an 'otel" for me.
Never, ever "an 'istory" for me.

Usually "an 'istoric[al]" for me.