A vs. An
A precedes all words that begin with a consonant. For example:- a car
- a movie
- a snake
- a lantern
The only exception to this rule is when an h is unsounded. For example:
- an honest man
- an herbal garden
- an hour
An precedes all words that begin with a vowel. For example:
- an order
- an alligator
- an elephant
- an udder
There are two exceptions to this rule: When a u makes a y sound (as in united), and when a o makes a w sound, as in one. For example:
- a utopia
- a used towel
- a one-star movie
Last modified: Tuesday, June 21, 2011, 11:59 AM