rules for using a or an

[Anonymous]

What are the rules for using "a" or "an" in a sentence.

 

[me75]

What are the rules for using "a" or "an" in a sentence.

I'm not a teacher but it was always my understanding that "an" preceeded a word that began with a vowel "an elephant, an attic, an undertoe" where "a" preeceded a word that began with a consanant "a consanant, a dog, a bird". HTH!

 

[Francois]

A U-turn, a European, a university, a euphemism etc. though (they all start with the same sound).

FRC

 

[Susie Smith]

A U-turn, a European, a university, a euphemism etc. though (they all start with the same sound).

FRC

Right! A precedes a word that begins with a consonant sound.

a young man, a university student, a cat, a European, a ukelele

An precedes a word that begins with a vowel sound.

an elephant, an hour, an honest man, an apple

 

[blacknomi]

How about 'herb'? :wink:

 

[Susie Smith]

How about 'herb'? :wink:

Good question. It depends on how you pronounce it. :lol:

Yes indeed, there are two ways of pronouncing it.

an herb (ûrb) or a herb (hûrb)

:wink:

 

[blacknomi]