“A” or “An”? 🤯
You may have learned:
1. Use “a” before words that start with a consonant.
2. Use “an” before words that start with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u).
We say a dog 🐶, a cat 🐕, or a banana 🍌
These words start with a consonant.
We say an apple 🍎, an orange 🍊, or an egg 🥚
These words start with a vowel.
But sometimes, this rule can feel tricky.
For example:
The word “hour” ⏳ starts with the letter h, but we say “an hour”.
That’s because the “h” is silent, and the word sounds like it starts with a vowel: “our”.
Now look at the word “university” 🏫
It starts with u, a vowel, but we say “a university”, not “an university”.
That’s because the word begins with a “yoo” sound, which is a consonant sound.
So remember!
It’s not about the first letter, it’s the sound that matters.
➡️ Use “a” if it sounds like it starts with a consonant
➡️ Use “an” if the word sounds like it starts with a vowel
Some more examples:
• a house 🏠
• an honest person 🧍
• a European country 🌍
• an umbrella ☂️
It may feel confusing now but the more you listen and practice, the easier it gets.
Keep practicing! You’re doing great :)
