Use a or an before the word one

If the word begins with a consonant sound you would use a, such as “a dog” and “a balloon,” as well as “a one” and “a unicorn.” If the word begins with a vowel sound, use an, such as in “an honorable man,” and with spoken acronyms like “an FBI agent.” Words like historic, with a pronounced “H,” can use either a or an.

Which is correct A or an?

Use “a” before words that start with a consonant sound and “an” before words that start with a vowel sound. Other letters can also be pronounced either way. Just remember it is the sound that governs whether you use “a” or “an,” not the actual first letter of the word.

Is it a Hispanic or a?

I am not trying to be prescriptive, but the usual recommendation for words beginning with a (sounded) ‘h’ is to use ‘a’ if the first syllable is stressed, and ‘an’ otherwise. This would mean: an Hispanic. (FWIW, that is also my recommendation. It sounds better.)

Is a or an before H?

For the letter “H”, the pronunciation dictates the indefinite article: Use “a” before words where you pronounce the letter “H” such as “a hat,” “a house” or “a happy cat.” Use “an” before words where you don’t pronounce the letter “H” such as “an herb,” “an hour,” or “an honorable man.”

Why is an hour an hour?

They are so named from the false belief of ancient authors that the Babylonians divided the day into 24 parts, beginning at sunrise. In fact, they divided the day into 12 parts (called kaspu or “double hours”) or into 60 equal parts.

Why is 60 minutes an hour?

Who decided on these time divisions? THE DIVISION of the hour into 60 minutes and of the minute into 60 seconds comes from the Babylonians who used a sexagesimal (counting in 60s) system for mathematics and astronomy. They derived their number system from the Sumerians who were using it as early as 3500 BC.

What if a minute was 100 seconds?

Now, according to your question, if 100 seconds would make 1 minute, then a day would be made of 86400/100= 864 minutes and if 100 minutes would make 1 hour, then a day would be made of 864/100=8.64 hours.

What day is 24hrs?

In the 24-hour time notation, the day begins at midnight, 00:00, and the last minute of the day begins at 23:59.

Is it 2400 or 0000?

Military Time Conversion Chart

Is 11 59 pm noon or midnight?

12-hour clock

What time is 11 59 pm?

My Time

Is 11 59am in the morning?

It is one minute before midnight. 11:59 am (before noon in Latin) is one minute prior to noon. It is the last minute of each day, as the next minute (12:00 am) marks the start of the next day. So, it is in the night.

What does it mean when something is due at 11 59?

When 9 out of 10 professors say x assignment is due on x date. It means it is due 11:59 PM of the day before. So if you had a paper due on March 12th, it means it should be submitted by March 11th 11:59 PM. If the due date was 11:59 on the 3rd, he shouldn’t have said due by the 4th.

Does midnight mean today or tomorrow?

In that system, tonight’s midnight is the first moment of tomorrow. But as for the rest of us – there’s no official answer. That’s why airlines always schedule flights for 11:59 p.m. or 12:01 a.m. – never midnight.

Does midnight on Friday mean?

When someone refers to “midnight tonight” or “midnight last night” the reference of time is obvious. However, if a date/time is referred to as “at midnight on Friday, October 20th” the intention could be either midnight the beginning of the day or midnight at the end of the day.

What time of day is 12am?

midnight

Main A or An Takeaways:

• Deciding whether to use a or an before a word depends on how the word is pronounced.
• Use a before a word that begins with a consonant sound (a cat, a girl, a boat).
• Use an before a word that begins with a vowel sound (an eagle, an Irish girl, an hour).
• A and an are indefinite articles.
• Indefinite articles reference something that is not defined, like an unspecified/unknown item or quantity.
• Definite articles reference something that is defined, like a specific item, location, or action.

When To Use A Or An?

We use a and an depending on how the words sound, not how they are spelled. Use a before words that begin with a consonant sound and use an before words that begin with a vowel sound. If the word begins with an ‘h’ but it’s silent, use an. Here’s a tricky part. Use a for words that begin in ‘h’ but are pronounced. We only use an if using a would sound off or make pronunciation more difficult.

Definite vs. Indefinite Articles

Before we dig deeper into the proper usage of a and an, let us first understand the difference between definite and indefinite articles. To begin with, there is only one definite article in the English language – the. On the other hand, there are two indefinite articles – a and an. The can function as an adjective or an adverb. A and an can only serve as an adjective, not an adverb.

The definite article the indicates that the identity of the noun is known to the reader. However, indefinite articles used before a noun means that the noun’s identity is unknown or general. Here are examples:

Now that you know the difference between definite and indefinite articles, let’s discuss the rules for using a or an.

What Are The Rules For Using A Or An?

The general rule for using a or an is simple. Use a for words that begin with a consonant sound. And use an for words that start with a vowel sound. You can also apply this rule to words that begin with ‘h.’ That’s because this rule applies to the sound of the word’s first letter and not just the letter itself. For instance, if the ‘h’ is silent, use an. If not, use a. Therefore, the indefinite article you use depends entirely on how the article sounds with the word it precedes.

General Rules for A vs. An:

• Useabefore a word that begins with a consonant sound.
• Useanbefore a word that begins with a vowel sound.

Which Is Correct: A Or An?

When deciding whether you should use a or an, say the word out loud. If the word begins with a vowel sound, use an. Words starting with a consonant sound use a. The indefinite article for words that begin with ‘h’ will depend on the word’s pronunciation. For example, use a for words where you pronounce the ‘h’ (a house, a hat). On the other hand, use an for terms where the ‘h’ is silent (an hour, an honor). Therefore, using this rule correctly depends on how the word is pronounced.

Tip: Say words out loud before selecting a or an for your written work. Some words begin with a consonant that sounds like a vowel.

What Is The Difference Between A And An?

Beyond the letter ‘n’, the main difference between a and an is their usage. We use a before words that start with a consonant sound. On the other hand, we use an before words that start with a vowel sound. Functionally, there is no difference between a and an because they are both indefinite articles. But, which one to use depends entirely on how we pronounce the word the indefinite article precedes.

Is It A Or An Before H?

Words beginning with ‘h’ don’t follow the rule to use the indefinite article a with words that begin with consonants. Instead, whether to use a or an before ‘h’ depends on how the word is pronounced. For instance, the ‘h’ is silent in the word hour, so the correct indefinite article to use is an (an hour). ‘H’ is not silent in the word hat. So, the right article to us is a.

However, be mindful of regional pronunciation differences. For example, people don’t tend to pronounce the ‘h’ in herbal in the U.S. In the U.K., however, they do. These differences in pronunciation may change which article is correct when.

Is It A Hour Or An Hour?

The correct way to phrase this is an hour, not a hour. The reason is because the actual sound of the word determines which indefinite article we use, not just the first letter. We typically use a for words that begin with a consonant sound but use an for words that begin with a vowel sound. While ‘h’ is a consonant, the letter is silent in the word hour. In other words, we can treat the ‘h’ like it’s invisible. As a result, the word hour actually begins with the vowel sound ‘o’. Since we use an with words that begin with vowel sounds, an is the correct indefinite article for the word hour.

What Is an Indefinite Article Example?

Here are examples of indefinite articles in sentences:

Here are examples of definite articles in sentences:

Do You Always Use An Before a Vowel?

Use the indefinite article an before a spoken vowel sound. We say an when using a would sound less appealing or make the phrase more difficult to pronounce. Regardless of how the word is spelled, only use an before words that begin with a vowel sound. For this reason, you should write an hour, an heir, or an honor. Even though ‘h’ is technically a consonant, it is silent in these examples. As a result, we pronounce the next letter, which is a vowel sound. Since we use an with vowel sounds, an is the correct indefinite article.

Why Are A and An Called Indefinite Articles?

A and an are called indefinite articles. There are three articles in total, and they are a,an, and the. They are a type of adjective because they help describe the noun that they precede. While a and an are indefinite articles, the is a definite article. Use a and an to refer to something that is indefinite, or not defined. This might be something less specific or unqualified (a pen, an overcoat). Similarly, use the to refer to something that is definite, or defined. This might be something you previously mentioned or something specific (the pen, the overcoat).

In the above sentence, you know she attended a meeting. You just don’t know what meeting she attended.

Therefore, since the meeting is not defined, we need to use the indefinite article a.

This sentence is not grammatically correct because meeting starts with a consonant sound, not a vowel sound. You can’t use an before the word meeting.

Indefinite articles like a or an reference an unknown or unspecified thing. They can also refer to an undefined quantity.

However, in this sentence you know that she attended a specific meeting. The woman attended themeeting, not ameeting. This sentence implies that the audience knows which meeting is referenced.

Since the meeting is defined, we need to use the definite article the.

Definite articles like the are words that reference something known or specific. The is a definite article because it clarifies which thing, person, place, or event you are referencing.

Here’s an easy sentence to help you remember definite articles:

I definitely need a definite article when I’m sure about something.

There is no doubt when you use definite articles. You know exactly what you’re referencing, and so does your audience. Stick with indefinite articles when you make vague comments or have an audience that doesn’t care about identity.

How Do We Determine Indefinite Article A or An?

The best way to determine whether to use a or an is to say the word out loud. For example, if the word begins with a consonant sound (not a vowel sound), then use a. However, if the word begins with a vowel sound, use an. Remember: the sound of the first letter of the word determines which indefinite article to use, not the first letter of the word.

What Are Indefinite Articles In English?

In English, there are two types of articles: definite (the) and indefinite (a, an). Use a definite article for things that are clearly and specifically defined. For example, when you’re talking about something specific, use the. Use an indefinite article for things that are not clearly and specifically defined. For instance, when you’re talking about something in general, use aor an depending on which sounds the word begins with.

In this example, we’re talking about a specific person (Sophia) and how she stands out above the rest for the speaker. Since we’re referencing something specific and defined, we need to use the definite article the.

Whether the word begins with a consonant or vowel sound, use the when you need a definite article.

Read More:The Definitive Guide: When To Use Was Vs. Were

Here, we’re talking about one of many identical ballots that the person requested. Since were referencing something general and not defined, we should use the indefinite article a.

If the word began with a vowel sound instead of a consonant sound like ‘b’, we’d use the indefinite article an.

In some rare cases, both an indefinite and definite article may make sense, depending on what you are trying to say.

For example, the first sentence uses the indefinite article an. This is correct because I’m not talking about a specific or defined egg sandwich. Rather, I’m talking about one of the many egg sandwiches the restaurant has to order in general. Since I’m referencing something undefined, I need to use indefinite article.

Moreover, since the word egg begins with a vowel sound, I should use the indefinite article an.

Can We Use Indefinite Article Before Uncountable Nouns?

Nouns can be countable or uncountable. Meaning, you can either count their quantity or not. Countable nouns or count nouns are either singular or plural. In contrast, uncountable nouns or noncount nouns are always singular. As a general rule, we only use indefinite articles before countable nouns indicating one quantity. For uncountable nouns, we can either use the definite article the or not (zero article).

In our first example, the term “drop” indicates one quantity. Thus, we used the indefinite article a. However, in our second example, a precedes the uncountable word “blood“, which is incorrect. The correct sentence(s) should be:

Why Is It Called Indefinite Article?

A and an are called indefinite articles because we use them to refer to things that are not defined, or indefinite. In fact, the word indefinite comes from combining the Latin prefix –in (meaning not) with the word definitis (meaning defined). In other words, indefinite articles refer to something that is not specific. This may be an undefined or unknown quantity or item.

Quick Recap: When and How To Use A Or An?

When to use a or an depends on how you pronounce the word in question. It’s important to note that the sound governs which indefinite article you use, not simply the first letter. This means that actually saying the word aloud will help you determine which article to use, and not just looking at the first letter. On one hand, use a if the word begins with a consonant sound (a chicken, a ballot). On the other hand, use an if the word begins with a vowel sound. Additionally, use a before words that begin with a hard ‘h’ sound. Conversely, use an before words that begin with a silent ‘h’.

Quick Indefinite Articles A or An Grammar Quiz

Read More: Wether vs. Weather vs. Whether: How to use Each Word Correctly

Use «a» before words that begin with a consonant sound, and «an» before words that begin with a vowel sound.

Use «a» before words that begin with a consonant sound.

I need to buy a notebook.

I need to buy an notebook.

Use «an» before words that begin with a vowel sound.

There’s an orange on the table.

There’s a orange on the table.

Note that this rule is based on pronunciation, and not spelling. For example, the first letter of the word «European» is a vowel, but it has a consonant sound (a «you» sound). Therefore, it takes the indefinite article «a» (not «an»).

My wife is a European citizen.

Other words, such as «hour» or «honor«, begin with a consonant; however, since the «h» is silent, we use «a» because the initial sound of these nouns is not consonant.

It’s an honor to be your guest.

Follow the same convention to introduce a single letter in a sentence; for example, we say «an F» because the individual letter «F» starts with a vowel sound (similar to «eff«).

Yesterday a bought an expensive necklace with an F on it.

And we say «a U» since this letter is pronounced with a consonant sound («you«).

It’s a U-shaped statistical curve.

A partial list of words and acronyms that begin with a consonant but take the article «an«, and vice versa, can be found below.

Single Letters

As mentioned before, we say «a U» (not «an U»). By contrast, when pronouncing the following consonants as individual letters, we use the indefinite article «an» to say:

• an F
• an H
• an L
• an M
• an N
• an R
• an S
• an X

Words Beginning With EU

Despite beginning with a vowel, the following words start with a consonant sound (a «you» sound), and therefore they take the article «a«:

• a eucalyptus
• a euphemism
• a euphony
• a euphoric
• a euro
• a European

Words Beginning With F

Follow the same strategy with abbreviations that begin with F and are pronounced as individual letters; for example, we say:

• an FBI
• an FDA
• an FYI

Words Beginning With H

These words begin with a vowel sound because the initial letter H is silent. Consequently, they take «an«:

• an heir
• an heiress
• an heirloom
• an herb (American English)
• an herbal (American English)
• an honest
• an honor
• an honorable
• an honorarium
• an honorary
• an hour
• an hourly
• an hourglass

When pronounced as individual letters, these acronyms begin with a vowel sound and are preceded by the article «an» as well:

• an HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein)
• an HDD (Hard Disk Drive)
• an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface)
• an HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
• an HPV (Human Papilloma Virus)
• an HTML (HyperText Markup Language)
• an HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol)

By contrast, these words begin with a sounded «H» (a consonant sound), so we use the article «a«:

• a habit
• a helicopter
• a hardware
• a historic
• a historical
• a hospital
• a host
• a hostess
• a hotel
• a humble
• a hypothesis

Some English words starting with H, like the ones listed below, can be pronounced in two different ways (either with a silent H or a sounded H). In such a situation, choose the article (a/an) that best suits your own pronunciation:

• a/an herbaceous
• a/an herbicide
• a/an herbivore
• a/an herbivorous

Words Beginning With L

These abbreviations are typically pronounced as individual letters, and therefore take the article «an«.

• an LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein)
• an LGB (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual) & LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender)

Words Beginning With M

Despite starting with the consonant M, these acronyms are often pronounced as individual letters and take the article «an«:

• an MBA (Master of Business Administration)
• an MD (Doctor of Medicine)
• an MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
• an MRT (Mass Rapid Transit)

These abbreviations, by contrast, are commonly pronounced as words (milliliter and millimeter) and are usually preceded by a:

• a mL (Milliliter)
• a mm (Millimeter)

Words Beginning With N

Use an before acronyms that begin with N but are pronounced as individual letters; for example, we say:

• an NBA (National Basketball Association)
• an NFL (National Football League)
• an NFT (Non-Fungible Token)
• an NGO (Non-Governmental Organization)
• an NLP (Natural Language Processing)
• an NRA (National Rifle Association)
• an NSA (U.S. National Security Agency)
• an NYSE (New York Stock Exchange)

The Word ‘One’

Note that the word one begins with a “w” sound. Actually, many native speakers pronounce “one” and “won” in the same way. Therefore, we say and write “a one” (not «an one»).

Robert rolled the die and got a one.

Robert rolled the die and got an one.

Words Beginning With R

Use an before acronyms that begin with R and are pronounced as individual letters, so we say:

• an R&D (Research & Development)
• an RGB (Red Green Blue—color model)

But use a if the abbreviation is pronounced as a word and begins with a consonant sound:

• a RAM (Random Access Memory)
• a REM (Rapid Eye Movement—sleep phase)

Words Beginning With S

Because the following acronyms are usually pronounced as individual letters, and the consonant «S» starts with a vowel sound («ess»), we use «an» to say:

• an SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• an SLA (Service-Level Agreement)
• an SMS (Short Message Service)
• an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)
• an SSD (Solid-State Drive)
• an STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease)
• an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle)
• an SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)

Words Beginning With U

The following words begin with a consonant sound («you»), and consequently require the indefinite article «a«

• a unicorn
• a unification
• a unified
• a unifying
• a union
• a unique
• a unit
• a united
• a United Kingdom
• a United Nations
• a United States
• a unity
• a universal
• a university
• a Uruguayan
• a US
• a useful
• a useless
• a user
• a uvula

Follow the same practice with these abbreviations:

• a UFO (Unidentified Flying Object)
• a UID (Unique Identifier)
• a UK (United Kingdom)
• a UN (United Nations)
• a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
• a URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
• a US/USA (United States)

Words Beginning With X

Since the pronunciation of the individual letter «X» starts with a vowel sound, use the indefinite article «an» before these abbreviations:

• an X-ray
• an XL (eXtra Large)
• an XML (eXtensible Markup Language)

Only look at the pronunciation of the word immediately following the article

The choice between a and an for the indefinite article is always based on how the beginning of the very next word in the noun phrase is pronounced.

The grammatical role of that word in the noun phrase is irrelevant. Spelling is also completely irrelevant, except insofar as it relates to the pronunciation. Since there are a lot of cases where English spelling does not relate to the pronunciation in a straightforward way, spelling is an unreliable guide to the use of a vs. an.

If you’re unsure of the pronunciation of a word or phrase, you can look it up in a dictionary that has a pronunciation guide. There are many good online dictionaries available for free; you can see a list of some of them at the following post: What good reference works on English are available?

The main rule in modern standard English: a before consonant sounds, an before vowel sounds

Fortunately, there is a very simple rule that you can follow that will never lead you astray, as long as you keep in mind the very important fact that it is based purely on pronunciation and never based on spelling.
In modern standard English, both written and spoken, we use a before words that start with consonant sounds when they are transcribed phonemically, and an before words that start with vowel sounds when they are transcribed phonemically.

What is a consonant and what is a vowel?

As I’ve already said, this has nothing to do with ordinary English spelling. You need to use your ears, or look at a phonemic transcription of the word (most of these are based on the International Phonetic Alphabet).

Some of the letters used in the transcription many be unfamiliar to you. If so, it may be helpful to view the lists of IPA letters and example words in the following lecture notes: The Vowels and Consonants of English, by Nigel Musk. If you’ve chosen to use a dictionary that uses a different system from the IPA, then you should look to see if it has a table of the sounds used in its transcription system where they are classified as consonants and vowels.

It’s generally fairly intuitive, but keep in mind that the semivowel sounds /w/ (the “w” sound at the start of wing) and /j/ (the “y” sound at the start of year) count as consonant sounds for the purpose of this rule, despite their phonetic similarity to vowels. So we say «a wing» and «a year.»

Example words, some with misleading spellings

Here are some examples:

• “an apple,” because apple is the next word after the article, it is pronounced /æpl̩/, and /æ/ is a vowel sound
• “a green apple,” because green is the next word after the article, it is pronounced /griːn/, and /g/ is a consonant sound
• “a Pop-Tart,” because Pop-Tart is the next word after the article, it is pronounced ˈpɑpˌtɑrt/, and /p/ is a consonant sound
• “an enormous Pop-Tart,” because enormous is the next word after the article, it is pronounced /ɪˈnɔrməs/, and /ɪ/ is a vowel sound
• “an hour,” because hour is the next word after the article, it is pronounced /aʊɚ/, and /aʊ/ is a vowel sound
• “a user,” because user is the next word after the article, it is pronounced /juːzɚ/, and /j/ is a consonant sound (for more examples like this, see Is it «a uniform» or «an uniform»?)
• «a European country,» because European is the next word after the article, it is pronounced /ˌjʊrəˈpiːən/, and /j/ is a consonant sound
• “an orange T-shirt,” because orange is the next word after the article, it is pronounced /ɔrəndʒ/, and /ɔ/ is a vowel sound
• “a one-time offer,” because one is the next word after the article, it is pronounced /wʌn/, and /w/ is a consonant sound (for more examples like this, see Indefinite article doubt preceding «one-to-one»)
• “an 1800s town,” because 1800s is the next word after the article, it is pronounced /eɪtiːnhʌndrədz/, and /eɪ/ is a vowel sound
• “an FAQ,” because FAQ is the next word after the article, it can be pronounced /ˌɛfˌeɪˈkjuː/, and /ɛ/ is a vowel sound
• “a FAQ,” because FAQ is the next word after the article, it can be pronounced /fæk/, and /f/ is a consonant sound (see the following question for more information about the pronunciation of «FAQ»: What is the commonly accepted pronunciation of FAQ?)
• «an S curve» (or «an S-curve») because «S» is the next word after the article, it is pronounced /ɛs/, and /ɛ/ is a vowel sound (for more examples like this, see Does one use ‘a’ or ‘an’ before the word X-Ray?)

“An historic”: Optional class of exceptions to the main rule

As I said earlier, following the main standard rule is always acceptable. However, there is a set of words where it has often been considered acceptable, but optional, to follow a different rule.

Before words that start with the consonant sound /h/ followed by an unstressed syllable, such as historical (stressed on the second syllable: «hi-STOR-ical») the article an may be used instead of a. That is, both «a historical» and «an historical» are generally considered acceptable (although specific individuals may have more restrictive judgements). The use of «an» in words like this may have originally been an effect of speakers dropping the «h» in this position, but modern English speakers who use «an historical» and like phrases don’t necessarily drop the /h/ sound entirely.

For more on this, see the answers to Why we say «an historical» but «a history» and When should I use «a» versus «an» in front of a word beginning with the letter h? (for the latter question, look at all the answers, not just the top ones, to get a complete picture).

But my understanding is that words that start with the sound /h/ in a stressed syllable, such as «history» (stressed «HIS-tory»), are always used with the article a instead of an in standard present-day English. So only «a» can be used in «a history» (unless you pronounce the word without an /h/ sound). (It is possible to find historical examples of «an history»; for more on this, see below.)

Words that are spelled with the letter «h», but pronounced starting with a vowel sound are always used with the article «an», in accordance with the main rule covered earlier in this answer. So only «an» can be used in «an hour» and «an honest effort».

See also the following Word Reference thread: A/an: historic, historian, historical, hotel, humanitarian, Hawaiian, honour, herb, hypothesis …

«A apple»: possible for some people in spontaneous speech, but not standard

Sometimes, you might hear people use «a» before a word that starts with a vowel sound, with a glottal stop in between the two vowel sounds. For example, someone might say «a apple» (/əˈʔæpl̩/). However, this is not standard, and is only common for some speakers. For other speakers, it might only occur as an occasional disfluency. In writing, the use of «a» before a word that starts with a vowel sound may reflect this phenomenon, but is often just an error resulting from edits that change word order or word choice. In either case, writing a before a word that starts with a vowel sound is non-standard.

Historical usage of “a” and “an” may be different

In earlier stages of English, these articles were not always distributed in the same way as they are now. This is partly because people used to pronounce some words with different sounds. Be aware of this if you’re reading an old text, such as the King James Bible.

See the following questions for more information:

• Why is ‘such an one’ obsolete?
• Pronunciation of ‘an hundred’
• Was «an unicorn» ever correct?

Another good resource on this topic is the following blog post by waiwai93: Articles: “A” vs. “An”