Choosing A or An
Use the correct form of the indefinite article: 'a' before words beginning with a consonant sound and 'an' before words beginning with a vowel sound (e.g., a rock, an open box, an hour, a unicorn)
What a learner can do afterwards
- Choose 'a' or 'an' correctly before nouns beginning with consonant or vowel sounds (e.g., 'a ball', 'an egg', 'an umbrella')
- Apply the rule to tricky words where spelling and sound differ (e.g., 'an hour' because /h/ is silent, 'a uniform' because /juː/ starts with a consonant sound)
- Correct errors in a/an usage in given sentences (e.g., change 'a orange' to 'an orange')
1 · Read
Every word starts with a sound. If that sound is a consonant sound, use 'a'. If it's a vowel sound, use 'an'. It is about the sound you hear, not the letter you see.
Listen to these: a dog, an owl, a cat, an apple. 'Dog' starts with a hard 'd' sound, so it gets 'a'. 'Owl' starts with a vowel sound, so it gets 'an'.
Some words trick your eyes, because the letter you see is not always the sound you hear. 'Hour' starts with a silent h, so the first sound you hear is a vowel sound: an hour. 'Uniform' starts with a /y/ sound, like 'yoo', so the first sound you hear is a consonant sound: a uniform. Say the word out loud and let your ears decide.
Listen to the first sound. A vowel sound gets 'an', a consonant sound gets 'a', even when spelling tries to trick you.
More to read
3 Ways to Use "A" and "An" Correctly
"A" and "an" are little words called articles. We put them right before a noun.
Use "a" when the next word starts with a consonant sound. Like: a dog, a house, a happy cat.
Use "an" when the next word starts with a vowel sound. Like: an apple, an elephant, an umbrella.
Listen to the sound, not just the letter!
"Hour" starts with the letter h, but the h is silent. So we say "an hour", not "a hour".
"Uniform" starts with the letter u, but it sounds like "yoo". The y sound is a consonant sound. So we say "a uniform", not "an uniform".
Try this one. Is it "a orange" or "an orange"? Since "orange" starts with a vowel sound, the answer is "an orange".
The trick: say the word out loud. If the first sound is a, e, i, o, or u, use "an". If not, use "a".
2 · Watch
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