A vs. An | Easy Writing Tips

Posted by fakhar on May 11th, 2019

One of the most common grammar errors a writer can make is mistaking the word “a” for “an,” or vice versa. This is also one of the most painful blunders a reader can endure. Remember, if your writing leaves the reader distracted, or makes him pause to consider your grammar, he isn’t reading, and he isn’t thinking about your story.

So when do you use “a” versus “an?” It really boils down to phonetics. The basic rule is that you use the word “a” before words that begin with consonants, and you use the word “an” before words that begin with vowels.

Phonetically, your ear should be trained to hear when to use “a” or when to use “an.” If not, I have taken the liberty to create a couple of examples listed below. As an exercise, try to come up with some examples of your own. You will know quickly whether or not you have it down.

Here are a few examples

a car

a hat

a Laptop for writing 

an apple

an alpha male

an outing with the family

With many grammar rules, there is an exception to the rule lurking out there somewhere. It is no different in this case. When a word that comes after the “a” / “an” in question starts with the letter “H” you have to perk up and pay extra attention. If the word that starts with an “H” pronounces the “H” as silent (example: “honest”), then you have to use the word “an” to precede it. This is because if the “H” is silent, then the sound that the word starts with is a vowel sound (the letter(s) right after the “h”). If the H-word has the “h” pronounced, then the word preceding it should be “a.”

Consider these examples:

it was an honour to meet you

it was an honest error

Another exception to the rule is when you encounter a word following your “a” or “an” that starts with the letter “u” or the letter “o.” Specifically, when the letter “u” is pronounced like “you” (example: “uniform”) or when the letter “o” starts off a word that makes the sound like a “w” (example: “one”) then you use the letter “a” and not “an.”

Consider these examples:

a uniform to match my backpack

a united approach to getting what we want

a used car

a one-armed veteran

a once star-struck lover.

Again, if you think about it phonetically, these rules makes sense. Having multiple vowl sounds in a row doesn’t sound right, especially in speech when you talk fast and words bleed together.

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