I demand that my books be judged with utmost severity, by knowledgeable people who know the rules of grammar and of logic, and who will seek beneath the footsteps of my commas the lice of my thought in the head of my style. —Louis Aragon
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A vs. An
A New York City classroom, 1942. Image courtesy US Library of Congress.
You should use an “a” before all words that begin with consonants.
- a cat
- a pineapple
- a brown dog
- a popsicle
- a broken crayon
Use “an” before all words that begin with vowels.
- an apple
- an artichoke
- an orangutan
- an iceberg
- an elliptical orbit
There are, of course, a few exceptions to this rule. In American English, for words beginning with an “h,” use “a” if you pronounce the “h” and “an” if you don’t.
- a hotel
- an herbal bouquet
- a honeybee
- an honest reply
For words that begin with “u,” when the “u” sounds like the “y” in “you,” you should use “a” instead of “an.”
- a unicorn
- an umbrella
For words that begin with “o,” when the “o” sounds like the “w” in “won,” you should use “a” instead of “an.”
- a one-hit wonder
- an overbearing boss
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