A Versus An

Today's topic is "a" versus "an."

Mignon Fogarty,
February 3, 2011
Episode #261

A Versus An

Today's topic is a versus an.

A lot of people learned the rule that you put a before words that start with consonants and an before words that start with vowels, but it's actually a bit more complicated than that. For example, here's Matthew with a question:

I've been wondering if it is actually a hour or an hour. An hour sounds more correct, but a hour reads more correct. I'm just curious on what it should be.

The rule is  that you use a before words that start with a consonant sound and an before words that start with a vowel sound (1)..

Should You Use a or an?

So to answer Matt's question, an hour is correct, because hour starts with a vowel sound. People seem to ask most often about words that start with the letters h and u because sometimes these words start with vowel sounds and sometimes they start with consonant sounds. For example, it is a historic monument because historic starts with an h sound, but it is an honorable fellow because honorable starts with an o sound. Similarly, it is a Utopian idea, but an unfair world.





Next: A Historic or an Historic?

A Historic or an Historic

While we’re talking about different pronunciations, let’s talk about a historic. Some Americans argue that it should be an historic, but I come down firmly on the side that says it should be a historic event. One of the most contentious interactions I had at a book signing was over this point.


If you’re feeling argumentative about this point, I’ll direct you to Bill Walsh’s website, The Slot, which has an exhaustive review of how different style guides deal with historic. But you should know that after reviewing many style guides, he also stands behind a historic being the correct choice.

Definite and Indefinite Articles

A and an are called indefinite articles. The is called a definite article. The difference is that a and an don't say anything special about the words that follow. For example, think about the sentence, “I need a horse.” You'll take any horse—just a horse will do. But if you say, “I need the horse,” then you want a specific horse. That's why the is called a definite article—you want something definite. At least that's how I remember the names.


  1. Faigley, L. The Little Penguin Handbook. New York: Pearson Education. 2007, p. 255.

Additional Reading


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