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.
2 · Watch
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