As the Purdue OWL notes: the choice of article is actually based upon the phonetic (sound) quality of the first letter in a word, not on the orthographic (written) representation of the letter. If the first letter makes a vowel-type sound, you use "an"; if the first letter would make a consonant-type sound, you use "a." You may follow these basic rules when deciding to use "a" or "an," remembering that there are some exceptions or particularities. You should be aware of:
- When to use "a" or "an" before words starting with "h"
- What to do if a word starts with a "u" sounding like a "ˈyu" sound
- What to do if a word starts with a "o" sounding like a "w" sound
When to use "a" or "an" before words starting with "h"
Question: how do I know when to use the article "a" or the article "an" before words that start with the letter "h?" For example, I learned that anglophones say:
- a hair
- an hour
Response: The Language Portal of Canada succinctly explains that "the answer to your question lies in the pronunciation of the h-word. When we pronounce the h at the beginning of the word, we use the indefinite article a (e.g. a hammer, a hair, a hat). When we don't pronounce the h at the beginning of the word, we use the indefinite article an (e.g. an heir, an hour, an honourable person)."
Should your require further explanation, check out these resources:
| Website | Page Name | Comments |
| Purdue OWL | Articles: A versus An | |
| YouTube (english-grammar-spot) | Articles: A, An & The - English grammar tutorial video lesson | I recommend this resource because you can hear the various pronunciations of words starting with an "h." You will probably want to start watching the video around the 1 minute 30 second mark. |
What to do if a word starts with a "u" sounding like a "ˈyu" sound
As the Purdue OWL notes: when "u" makes the same sound as the "y" in "you," then the article "a" is used. The word-initial "y" sound ("unicorn") is actually a glide [j] phonetically, which has consonantal properties; consequently, it is treated as a consonant, requiring the article "a."
For example: a union, a united front, a unicorn, a used napkin, a U.S. ship, a eunuch (the "e" is silent in this word).
What to do if a word starts with a "o" sounding like a "w" sound
When "o" makes the same sound as "w" in "won," then the article "a" is used.
For example: a one-legged man, a one-sided battle
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