Using a in front of a word

Vowels, consonants and diphthongs are classification of sounds, not of letters. English alphabet has 26 letters (A-Z) but the language has 44 sounds — 24 consonants, 12 pure vowels and 8 diphthongs. The sounds that are produced with obstruction in the vocal tract are called «consonants.» p, t, k, g, f, l, etc are consonants because we cause obstruction (i) by closing lips to produce p, (ii) touching hard palate by tongue to produce t, (iii) touching soft palate by back of tongue to produce g, (iv) touching lower lip by upper teeth to produce f, (v) touching teeth ridge by front part of tongue to produce l. In contrast, sounds that are produced without obstruction anywhere in the vocal tract are called «vowels.» For example, there is no obstruction when we say the sound represented by the letter a. There are two semi-vowels in English, sounds represented by letters y and w. Semi-vowels are similar to vowels but function as consonants. That’s a technical issue, so ignore it at the moment. Diphthongs are a combination of two vowel sounds, and a lot of words use them. Words like, so, no, oil, boy, flight, etc have diphthongs. Let’s put aside diphthongs because they are not important to understand the use of articles (a, an, the are called articles in English). If a word begins with a vowel sound, and we need to use an article before it, we use ‘an.’ For example, an umbrella, an apple, an instrument, etc. If a word begins with a consonant sound, we use article a. For example, a house, a dog, a car, a man, etc. The meaning of A/An is «ANY,» not a particular thing. (You may consider a/an as short forms for «any.») In contrast, if we talk about a particular object, we use article ‘the’ with it. For instance, if we talk of something for the first time, we use ‘a’ or ‘an,’ but on a second reference of the same thing requires the use of ‘the.’  A very common example found in grammar books is from stories, like this:

Long ago once upon a time there lived a king in France. The king was very cruel.

Uses of ‘the’ are multiple. Here I have given its use in contrast with a/an. You may consider ‘the’ as a short form for this/that because as this/that indicate a particular thing (not «any» thing in general) «the» also indicates a particular object. Like in the example given above «The king»  means «that king which I have just now told you about….» 

From the discussion above it must be clear that ‘h’ in English is a letter, not the exact sound. In the word «hour» it doesn’t represent the sound ‘h’ but rather it stands for the sound a (we cannot write the correct pronunciation of ‘hour’ using English letters, but an approximation is au(r)), so it begins with a vowel sound; that’s why ‘an hour.’ ‘An English teacher’ is correct because the word ‘English’ begins with i (called short e) which is a vowel sound. 

You ask why some people say or write an historical. The thing is, that’s not what any people actually say or write. People who uses the string an historical is going have a noun after it. E.g, novel:

• He started an historical novel today and now he can’t put it down.

because an historical is not a complete constituent; it has to have a noun to modify. But an historical novel is a complete constituent. And in that constituent, you will notice that the stress is on the syllable with TOR in it.

• an hisTORical novel

And you will also notice that the syllable with his in it is not stressed, and that there is a strong tendency to leave out the /h/ when saying it, producing something that might be pronounced

• /ənɪ’storəkəl’navəl/,

and might be spelled

• an ‘istorical novel

if one had the simple faith in apostrophes that millions display daily.

A linguist would say (and this linguist does say) that initial /h/ is frequently dropped before unstressed syllables. Stressed initial syllables are more normal in English than unstressed, and so they don’t drop /h/; these include all monosyllables like ham and hint, for instance.

This is not a rule that has to be followed; this is an optional rule that is followed by many people, but not by all, often, but not always, even by the same people. So sometimes people say «an historical», because ‘istorical starts with a vowel in speech, and the rule says an before vowels when they’re pronounced as vowels in speech, never mind spelling. So in those cases they’ll write it an historical, too, because it’s a speech rule, not a spelling rule.

How do you know whether to use “a” versus “an” in front of a word? Many of us were taught in elementary school that we use “a” in front of nouns that begin with consonant letters (e.g., “a crown”) and we use “an” in front of nouns that begin with vowel letters (e.g., “an apple”). What if we told you, though, that this rule isn’t quite right? Would you believe us?

A lot of people still believe the rule we learned in elementary school because in most cases, it leads us to the right answer. For example, in all of the following cases, using “a” for words that begin with consonant letters and using “an” for words that begin with vowel letters works out:

Words that begin with consonant letters:

• a beach
• a sandcastle
• a wave

Words that begin with vowel letters:

• an ocean
• an octopus
• an eel

In some cases, though, the rule leads us in the wrong direction. Let’s take a look at the following example:

• They need ___ MC (master of ceremonies) for their wedding.

What word belongs in the blank? “A” or “an”? Many of you would probably say that “an” sounds right more than “a” does. If we go with “an,” we end up with the following sentence:

• They need an MC for their wedding.

Notice, though, that “MC” starts with a consonant letter. This conflicts with our elementary school rule, which tells us that we use “a” with words with begin with consonant letters. Nonetheless, this answer is correct.

If our elementary school rule isn’t correct, how do we know when to use “a” versus “an” in front of a noun? Instead of looking at the first letter of the noun, we need to identify the sound that the noun starts with. If you were to say the word “MC” out loud, you would pronounce it like this: “em see.” As you can see, the first sound (i.e., “em”) is a vowel sound. For this reason, we use “an” rather than “a” in front of “MC.”

In many cases, words that begin with consonant letters (e.g., crown) also begin with consonant sounds, and words that begin with vowel letters (e.g., apple) also begin with vowel sounds. This is why the elementary school rule often leads us to the right answer. If you want to make sure that you always choose the correct word, though, you’ll need to think about the first sound of the noun instead of the first letter.

Have any lingering questions about when to use “a” vs. “an”? Leave us a note in our comments section below and we’ll do our best to incorporate your questions into one of our upcoming posts.

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Quick Summary. The Greek prefix a- and its variant an- mean “not.” An easy way to remember that the prefix a- means “not” is through the word apolitical, which describes a person who is “not” inclined to favor politics. Someone who is anonymous is going around “not” having a name.

What words start with letter A?

• aardvark.
• aardwolf.
• aasvogel.
• abacuses.
• abalones.
• abampere.
• abandons.
• abapical.

What type of word is A and an?

“A” and “an” are indefinite articles that precede nouns or the adjectives modifying nouns. In English grammar, “a” and “an” are determiners, meaning they specify the identity or quantity of something, and for both words, that quantity is “one”—the word from which they’re derived.

What do you call the beginning of a word?

outset, opening, introduction, inauguration, creation, onset, birth, inception, dawn, top, heart, origin, dawning, rudiment, infancy, spring, preface, kickoff, takeoff, threshold.

What can I say instead of beginning?

What is another word for beginning?

start	onset
outset	commencement
dawn	launch
opening	break
chance	kickoff

How do you say from the very beginning?

Synonyms

1. at the beginning.
2. at an early stage.
3. at the start.
4. from the beginning.
5. from the start.
6. from the very beginning.
7. all along.
8. since the beginning.

What is the very beginning?

countable noun [usually singular] The beginning of an event or process is the first part of it.

Is it in the beginning or at the beginning?

At the beginning or in the beginning? We use at the beginning (often with of) to talk about the point where something starts. We usually use in the beginning when we contrast two situations in time: At the beginning of every lesson, the teacher told the children a little story.

What is meant by the phrase in the beginning?

In the beginning means ‘at first’, and it usually suggests a contrast with a later situation. It is not usually followed by of. ✗ Children are still in the beginning of their lives.

How do you use beginning?

Beginning sentence example

1. She gazed up at him, her heart beginning to flutter.
2. She was beginning to relax when he launched the question.
3. I was beginning to be vexed with you.
4. She was beginning to get a bad feeling.

What is a word for continuing without stopping?

continuing without interruption; unending; ceaseless: an incessant noise.

Is the beginning a phrase?

“In the beginning” (bereshith in Biblical Hebrew) is the opening-phrase or incipit used in the Bible in Genesis 1:1. In John 1:1 of the New Testament, the word Archē is translated into English with the same phrase.

What is a phrase at the beginning of a sentence called?

Simply put, an introductory phrase is a group of words that comes before the main clause in a sentence. It helps the reader understand more about the main clause. An introductory phrase is not a complete clause; it does not have a subject and a verb of its own.

What are some good sentence starters?

Example: Using Transition Words to Indicate Sequence/Order of Events

generally… furthermore… finally	during
in the first place… also… lastly	earlier
to be sure… additionally… lastly	eventually
first… just in the same way… finally	finally
basically… similarly… as well as	first of all

Which Bible starts with in the beginning?

Genesis

When God gives you a new beginning it starts with an ending meaning?

When God gives you a new beginning, it starts with an ending. It is more like finishing off a chapter before you start a new one. Do not lose your hope when the doors get closed, rather know that they have closed only because new doors are waiting ahead to be opened.

What does in the beginning mean in the Bible?

“In the beginning was the word” The text then goes on to say that The word was God, and was with God from The Beginning. Seventh Day Adventists interpret that text as meaning Jesus was with God The Father since eternity. Genesis 1 says “Let us make man in our own image”.

Which version of Bible should I read?

English Standard Version – ESV Written in modern English, making it easier to comprehend. Written is a way that makes it perfect for preaching, reading out loud, and even memorizing. Because it’s word for word, it is ideally suited for in-depth study, but still great for everyday reading.

What is the easiest Bible to read and understand?

The Holy Bible: Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) is an English translation of the Bible compiled by the World Bible Translation Center. It was originally published as the English Version for the Deaf (EVD) by BakerBooks.

Is the King James Bible the most accurate?

Bringing the Bible directly to the people Published in 1611, the King James Bible spread quickly throughout Europe. Because of the wealth of resources devoted to the project, it was the most faithful and scholarly translation to date—not to mention the most accessible.

Do Catholics use the King James Bible?

The Catholic Bible is actually the generic term for the Christian Bible. The King James Version (KJV) is regarded as one of the first English translations of the Catholic Bible, with the Great Bible and the Bishops Bible as its first two English predecessors.

What are the 14 books removed from the Bible?

This book contains: 1 Esdras, 2 Esdras, The Book of Tobit, The Book of Susanna, Additions to Esther, The Book of Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, The Epistle of Jeremiah, The Prayer of Azariah, Bel and the Dragon, Prayer of Manasses, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Book of Enoch, Book of Jubilees, Gospel of …

Is KJV the only true Bible?

The Trinitarian Bible Society does not believe that the Authorized Version (KJV) is a perfect translation, only that it is the best available translation in the English language. Adherents to this belief may also believe that the original languages, Hebrew and Greek, can be corrected by the KJV.

Which Bible is more accurate?

King James Version ( KJV)

What religion uses King James Bible?

The King James Version is still the favoured biblical translation of many Christian fundamentalists and some Christian new religious movements. It is also widely regarded as one of the major literary accomplishments of early modern England.

Which version of the Bible do Baptists use?

Originally Answered: Which version of the Bible do Baptists use? Many English speaking Baptists in the years past adhered to the original King James Version but now other versions are more universally recognized such as the NIV. The Southern Baptist Convention published the Christian Standard Bible in 2017.

How to Use “A” versus “An” in a Sentence

You probably think that “a” vs. “an” is a grammar rule you mastered long ago. But as it turns out, the concept is more complicated than you may think. The odds are that you’ve been using “an” in a sentence sometimes when you should have used “a” and vice versa.

“A” and “an” are indefinite articles, which are used to indicate how many of a certain noun you’re talking about. In other languages, such as Spanish, indefinite articles also indicate the gender of a noun. Luckily, in English, articles are much simpler. You only have four choices: “a,” “an,” “the” and “some.” “A” and “an” are used with singular nouns, and they are indefinite, meaning they don’t refer to a particular noun. This rule will not be applied when plural nouns or uncountable nouns are used, as they are determiners for singular nouns.

That is the job of “the,” English’s only definite article. The “a” in “a” and “an” keeps the same first letter in both cases, but can change depending on the following word in the sentence and the tenses used. This concept is a basic rule to the English language and English grammar and many other common languages as well. When people learn English, they often use this rule a lot in sentence creation. The rule of “a” vs “an” depends on the next word in the sentence.

When to Use “An” in a Sentence

You’re supposed to use “a” for words beginning with consonants and “an” for words that start with vowels, right? Well, not always. Here’s a surprise: both “a unicorn” and “an umbrella” are correct. The real rule is that you have to use “an” in a sentence when a word has a vowel sound at the beginning or in the first syllable, not just the first sound. For words with vowels at the beginning that sound like consonants, such as the “u” in unicorn, use “a” instead. “Silent h’s” can also be a struggle in learning this rule.

‌Example sentences:‌

That is an alligator.

He rented an armadillo costume.

She sent her an invitation.

When an adjective comes between the indefinite article and the noun, make sure the article matches the sound of the adjective it proceeds. Use “an” with adjectives that begin with vowel sounds.

‌Examples:‌

I bought an expensive raincoat.

Mosquitos make an irritating noise.

She earned an excellent score on the test.

Some words begin with consonants that are silent, like “hour,” and other words sound like they begin with a vowel when they really start with a consonant.

‌Examples:‌

He was just asking an honest question.

She had to wait for an hour to see them.

They made an honest mistake.

Other times, you may be referring to just a singular letter or number. Make sure it matches with its indefinite article. Letters and numbers that sound like they start with a vowel should be proceeded by “an.”

‌Examples:‌

Even though he studied, his final grade on the exam was an F.

Her handwriting was so sloppy, they couldn’t tell if she spelled her name with an M or an N.

When the group was playing Yahtzee, he rolled an eight.

When to Use “A” in a Sentence

The other indefinite article is «a.» As a general rule, chose «a» when the word that comes after it sounds like it starts with a consonant, even if it’s actually a vowel. Sometimes weird things like that happen. English is complicated.

Use “a” in front of singular nouns that begin with consonants. These nouns should also be countable, meaning there could be more than one in other situations.

‌Examples:‌

She is a firefighter.

He uses a jump rope.

They saw a flower in the garden.

Indefinite articles have to match the sound of the word that comes after them, even if those words are adjectives that come between the article and its noun. Make sure you use “a” with adjectives that begin with consonant sounds.

‌Examples:‌

It was a stupendous surprise.

He took a picture of a tall elephant.

She examined a scaly lizard under her magnifying glass.

Use “a” in front of words that start with vowels that sound like consonants. Such vowel examples include the “u” in “university” or the “E” in “European.”

‌Examples:‌

She has a European Union passport.

They go to a university like ours.

The candy bar only costs a euro.

Use “a” before single letters and numbers that begin with consonant sounds, even if they are vowels or are spelled out with a vowel at the beginning.

‌Examples:‌

He gave me a $1 bill.

She made a U-turn.

Sometimes, Both «A» and «An» Work

In some situations, “a” vs. “an” is a question of where you’re from, or, more specifically, your accent.

Americans and speakers of British English are sometimes separated by a common language. One case in point is this discrepancy with “herb” and “hospital.”

In British English, the “h” in “herb” is pronounced, but in most American English accents, the same “h” is silent.

So, in the UK, it would be acceptable to say: I ordered a herb salad.

But in the United States, most people would say: I made an herb vinaigrette.

The same is true for the word “hospital” and practically any other word that begins with a silent “h” in American English.

British English speakers would say: She works at an hospital.

But American English speakers would say: He was born in a hospital.

Sometimes, Neither «A» Nor «An» Works

Only use an indefinite article for countable nouns. There are some nouns that can’t be counted, at least according to grammarians. These nouns include air, advice, information, fun and salt.

Wrong: She gave me an advice.

Right: She gave me some advice.

Wrong: He breathed an air.

Right: He breathed the air.

Wrong: They asked for an information.

Right: They asked for information.

Vowels Vs. Consonants

You probably already know the basic differences between vowels and consonants. Vowel examples in English include a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y. The rest of the letters in the alphabet are consonants. But do you know why they’re different?

It all has to do with the way your mouth and throat forms the sounds. When you pronounce vowels, your mouth and throat stay open, but consonants are formed by the different ways you stop or close that air passage with your teeth, tongue and lips.

The letter “y” is sometimes a vowel because your mouth treats it differently depending on the word. If you’re saying a word like “hymn,” the air passage stays open for the sound to come through. But if you’re saying a word like “yeoman,” your lips and tongue get involved, changing the airflow to make the “yuh” sound that starts off the word.

Other Grammar Rules to Watch Out For

Grammar can be much trickier than it looks because it seems like there are so many rules. But with a little knowledge and a lot of practice, you can become a grammar master and start being the one who corrects your friends.

Some of the most common grammar mistakes are just misspellings. Lean how to spell each word the right way, and your grammar will sparkle in no time.

‌Their, There, They’re:‌ These three words mean three different things.

Use «their» if you mean something belongs to someone. Example: It’s their house.

Use «there» when implying location. Example: It’s that house over there.

Use «they’re» to make a contraction of «they» and «are.» Example: They’re moving into the house across the street.

‌Your and You’re:‌ Similar to the «their, there, they’re» problem, «your» and «you’re» have two different functions.

«Your» is a possessive pronoun. Example: Is that your car?

«You’re» is a contraction of «you» and «are.» Example: You’re the person driving us to school?

‌Its and It’s:‌ These two words also have different functions.

«Its» is a possessive pronoun. Example: Let the dog chew on its toy.

‌«‌It’s» is a contraction of «it» and «is.» Example: Hurray! It’s Christmas!

‌To and Too:‌ Here is another instance of two words that sound alike but have separate meanings. Be careful: adding one letter or leaving it off can really confuse your reader.

«To» is a preposition‌.‌ It can be directional or it can indicate time, among its numerous other uses. Example: We’re going to the movies tonight.

«Too» is an adverb that can mean «also» or that something is in excess. Example: There is too much pepper on my potato salad. Example: Mine, too!

‌Me and I:‌ This is one that might be tripping you up. You may have been told to use «she and I» instead of «she and me,» but that advice could have led you astray. «She and I» is actually incorrect if you’re using it in the predicate, or the end of the sentence that is being acted upon by the noun.

Wrong: She and me went to the party.

Right: She and I went to the party.

Wrong: He went to the party with Lucy and I.

Right: He went to the party with Lucy and me.

When in doubt, you can replace the offending word with another you know is right.

Right: He went to the party with us.

You can also take out the other person to see if the sentence sounds right with «me» or «I»

Wrong: He went to the party with I.

Right: He went to the party with me.

‌“Alot” and “a lot”:‌ This is just a standard misspelling. «A lot» is two words, meaning there is a great quantity of something.

Wrong: I love you alot.

Right: I love you a lot.

‌Loose and Lose:‌ Another common misspelling, «loose» and «lose» have unrelated meanings. «Loose» is an adjective, meaning something it baggy or not tight. «Lose» is a verb that means to misplace or be defeated.

Wrong: My pants are too lose.

Right: My pants are too loose.

Wrong: A zebra escaped from the zoo, and now it’s on the lose.

Right: A zebra escaped from the zoo, and now it’s on the loose.

‌Then and Than:‌ «Then» and «than» may sound very similar, but they are different parts of speech with dissimilar functions.

«Than» is usually used in comparisons. Example: My turtle runs faster than your snail.

«Then» tends to indicate time or subsequent action. Example: I ate breakfast, and then I went to school.

‌Less and Fewer:‌ Only brainiacs know this one. Both of these words are used for comparisons, but do you know when to use which?

Use «less» when you’re talking about something collective or something that can be in a mass. Example: There is less sand in my shoes than in my shorts.

Use «fewer» when you’re describing something that can be numbered. Example: I ate fewer cookies than my brother did.

‌Who and Whom:‌ This one frequently trips up grammar novices. Both words replace nouns, but when should you use them?

«Whom» is always going to be the object of a very or preposition. If you want to use «whom,» try replacing the word with «him» or «her.» If it fits, «whom» is the correct word to use. If it doesn’t, go with «who.»

Wrong: Whom ate my sandwich?

Right: Who ate my sandwich?

Wrong: To who did you send that postcard?

Right: To whom did you send that postcard?