The English Language has articles. The articles are further classified into definite and indefinite articles. The definite article includes “the” and the indefinite article includes “a” and “an”.
These three little words play a pivotal role before naming words or nouns.
Key Takeaways
- “A” is an indefinite article used before words beginning with consonant sounds, while “an” is used before words beginning with vowel sounds.
- “a” and “an” introduce singular, countable nouns.
- Neither “a” nor “an” should be used before uncountable or plural countable nouns.
A vs An
“A” is used before a singular noun that begins with a consonant sound. For example, “a dog”, “a book”, and “a car”. “An” is used before a singular noun that begins with a vowel sound. For example, “an apple”, “an egg”, and “an umbrella”. “an” is used before a noun that begins with a vowel sound, with some exceptions.
‘A’ is used in front of words that start with a consonant or sound like starting with a consonant. Words that sound like consonants could begin with ‘u’. When ‘u’ is pronounced, it sounds like ‘you’.
Examples of words are unique, unicorn, uniform, union, unit, use, user, utensil, united, useless, and many more words, which though begin with a vowel and sound like a consonant word.
While ‘an’ is used in front of words that start with a vowel or sound like starting with a vowel. Examples of words with a vowel sound are words beginning with ‘h’ as ‘h’ is not pronounced.
The words could be honest, heir, honourable, heirloom, hour, and many more, which though they begin with a consonant, sound like vowels and hence an is used.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of comparison | A | An |
|---|---|---|
| Usage | It is used before words that start or sound with a consonant | It is used before words that start or sound with a vowel |
| Function | To modify non-specific nouns | To modify non-particular nouns |
| Type | Indefinite article | Indefinite article |
| Limitations | It cannot be used with possessive pronouns, plural nouns, or before a word starting or starting like a vowel | It cannot be used with cardinal numbers, demonstratives, definite nouns, or before a word starting or sounding like a consonant |
| Examples | A new house, a tall building, a beautiful word, a long curtain | An angry lion, an accident, an elephant, an igloo, an hour |
What is A?
The article ‘a’ is used for a singular common noun. The use of the article ‘a’ depends on the word that follows it. It is essential to note the sound or pronunciation of the word.
Words that start with a consonant or sound like a word starting with a consonant have the article ‘a’ before them.
The consonants in the English Language are ‘b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z’. Any word that starts with these alphabets can have the article ‘a’ before it.
Some examples are – a party, a book, a teapot, a cart, a watermelon, a flower, a hat, a woman, and many other combinations.
Other than the consonants, some words start with a vowel yet sound like a consonant and qualify for the usage of the article ‘a’. Such vowel-starting but consonant-sounding words can begin with the alphabet ‘u’.
‘U’, when pronounced in English, sounds like ‘you’ and hence lands up sounding like a consonant.
Examples of consonant-sounding words are ubiquitous, utopia, unisex, universal, university, etc. The article ‘a’ promotes smoothness in speech. It is also applicable for acronyms and abbreviations like A CBS News report.
What is An?
The article ‘an’ is an indefinite article. It is used for a singular common noun. The article ‘an’ is used before words that start with a vowel or sound like a word starting with a vowel.
The vowels in the English language are ‘a, e, i, o, u’. If the word starts with any of these alphabets, then the article ‘an’ can be used before the same.
Example of such words is ice cream, an octopus, an engine, an umbrella, an envelope, an owl, an orange, an egg, an hour, an eagle, an ant, an afternoon and many other combinations.
But some words begin with a consonant, yet sound like starting with a vowel alphabet and can qualify the usage of the article ‘an’.
Such consonant starting words start with the alphabet ‘h’ and sound like it has started with ‘o’. Examples of such words are honest, honour, herb, hour, honorary, hysterectomy, hereditary, humble, homage, and many others words.
The article ‘a’ promotes clarity in speech. It is even applicable to acronyms and initials. Example An HTML web application or An NBC television show.
Hence, it all depends on the sound and pronunciation of the words, abbreviations, acronyms, or letters, irrespective of the spelling.
Main Differences Between A and An
- The article ‘a’ is used before words, abbreviations, acronyms, or letters that start with a consonant, while the article ‘an’ is used before words, abbreviations, acronyms, or letters that start with a vowel.
- The exception of the usage of article ‘a’ is for words that start with “u” as it is pronounced as “you”, while the exception of the usage of article ‘an’ is for words that start with “h” as the “h” is silent.
- The function of the article ‘a’ is to modify non-specific nouns and make the speech smooth, while the function of the article ‘an’ is to modify non-particular nouns and make the speech clear.
- Example of, the article ‘a’ is a girl, a fish, a book, and a university, while the examples of the article ‘an’ are an old house, an arcade, an honourable man, an LCD screen, etc.
- The article ‘a’ can be used before alphabets like “a, e, i, o, u”, while the article ‘an’ can be used before alphabets like ”b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z”.
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
