A vs An — Vowel and Consonant Sounds
Practice choosing between a and an based on the initial sound of the next word. Covers silent h, tricky vowel-spell/consonant-sound pairs like 'European' and 'unique', acronyms and numbers.
A vs An: Choosing the Right Indefinite Article
The choice between a and an is governed by phonology, not spelling. Use an before any word beginning with a vowel sound; use a before any word beginning with a consonant sound. Analysis of learner corpora shows that spelling-based errors — 'a honest', 'an unique', 'a astronaut' — account for the majority of a/an mistakes even at B2 level.
Silent H Words
When the 'h' at the start of a word is not pronounced, the word begins with a vowel sound and requires an:
an honest mistake /ɒ/
an heir /eə/
Compare: a hotel /h/ (h is pronounced)
Vowel-Spelled, Consonant-Sounding Words
Some words start with a vowel letter but open with a consonant sound (/j/ or /w/) and therefore require a:
a European city (/jʊər/)
a unique opportunity (/juː/)
a one-year contract (/wʌn/)
Acronyms and Numbers
For acronyms, apply the rule to the spoken form of the first letter. For numbers, apply it to the spoken form of the numeral:
an MP, an MA degree (/em/ — vowel)
an 18th-century painting ('eighteenth' → /eɪ/)
an 8-year-old child ('eight' → /eɪ/)
a one-hour delay ('one' → /wʌn/ — consonant)
Common Mistakes
✗ an unique experience → ✓ a unique experience (/juː/ consonant)
✗ an European country → ✓ a European country (/jʊər/ consonant)
✗ a astronaut → ✓ an astronaut (vowel /æ/)
✗ an one-year scholarship → ✓ a one-year scholarship (/wʌn/ consonant)