article before horrible

[david11]

why is the article before the word horrible a not an, although it has a vowel sound?

 

[5jj]

[STRIKE]w[/STRIKE] Why is the article before the word 'horrible' a not an, althoughspaceit has a vowel sound?

'Horrible' begins with /h/, a consonant sound.

 

[emsr2d2]

You will hear it pronounced as " 'orrible" and therefore preceded by "an" by people who, as my grandfather used to say, "don't know 'ow to talk proper".

That's a horrible hat = Correct.
That's an 'orrible 'at = Incorrect/lazy

 

[david11]

Y as my grandfather used to say, "don't know 'ow to talk proper".

Shouldn't there be an adverb "properly"?

Or was it way to humorously tell that (as your grandfather used to say) Don't know to talk proper(ly)?

P.s. I apologize for not starting the sentence with a capital letter(Even after 242 posts ). I always be careful not make any mistakes(Of course, which I can find as mistake) but due carelessness it happens sometimes.

 

[david11]

'Horrible' begins with /h/, a consonant sound.

Then why is there an before "hundred" not a?

 

[SoothingDave]

Then why is there an before "hundred" not a?

There isn't. "A hundred" is correct.

A harmonica. An hour. An honest man. A hotel. An honor.

 

[david11]

There isn't. "A hundred" is correct.

A harmonica. An hour. An honest man. A hotel. An honor.

Don't the words hour and honest begin with consonant?

 

[5jj]

The 'h' is silent in those words. They begin with a vowel sound.

 

[emsr2d2]

Shouldn't there be an adverb "properly"?

Or was it way to humorously tell that (as your grandfather used to say) Don't know to talk proper(ly)?

Yes, my grandfather was being ironic/sarcastic when he said that other people "don't talk proper". Of course it should be that they "don't speak properly".

 

[david11]

Yes, my grandfather was being ironic/sarcastic when he said that other people "don't talk proper". Of course it should be that they "don't speak properly".

Thank god. Your grandfather didn't happen to see my posts.Otherwise, He may have said that people don't write proper"

 

[Barb_D]

There are a few differences among pronunciation of some h-words. In the US, for example, certain flavorings are 'erbs, but in the UK, they are herbs.

Even within the US, the words "historic" and "historical" will be pronounced with and without the H sound. I say "an historical" so I write "an historical." Oddly, we all seem to agree that "history" has the H.

 

[emsr2d2]

For years in the UK, many people including those paragons of pronunciation at the BBC, insisted on using "an hotel", spoken with a silent "H", presumably because it is a French word and in French the "h" is silent. I think that remained the case until about ten years ago when popular convention took over and it became "a hotel" with a sounded "h".