A or An: Choosing the Right Article

Say the next word aloud and listen to its first sound. Use an before a vowel sound and a before a consonant sound. The first written letter can be misleading, especially when a letter is silent or represents a different sound.

Many familiar words follow the pattern you expect from their spelling. Words beginning with a, e, i, or o often start with vowel sounds and take an. Words beginning with b, d, k, p, or s start with consonant sounds and take a. Check the pronunciation when you are unsure; spelling alone cannot settle the choice.

Você pode praticar isso novamente em He and I are or am: Choosing the Right Verb e When or if: Choosing the Right Word.

The letter h causes errors because some English words silence it while others pronounce it with breath. When the initial h is silent, as in hour, honor, and honest, the spoken word starts with an open vowel, so you must use an. When the initial h is pronounced with breath, as in hotel, house, and hospital, you hear a consonant sound and must use a. Standard American English consistently sounds the h in words like historic, making a historic the normal pattern.

Many words that begin with the letter u or the letter pair eu do not begin with a vowel sound. When u sounds like you, it begins with the consonant sound /j/, exactly like yellow or yard. Because /j/ is a consonant sound, words such as university, uniform, unit, and European take the article a. Contrast these with words like uncle or umbrella, where the letter u produces the genuine vowel sound /ʌ/ and takes an.

The letter o occasionally produces a consonant sound instead of a vowel. When you say the words one or once, your lips round into the consonant glide /w/, identical to the beginning of water or wind. Because /w/ is a consonant sound, any phrase beginning with one or once takes the article a. Do not let the written vowel letter deceive your eye. Always say the phrase aloud to test the spoken start.

Abbreviations and letter names follow the pronunciation of the spoken letter, not the letter on paper. When you say an acronym as separate letters, check the sound of the first letter. The letters f, h, l, m, n, r, s, and x all begin with vowel sounds such as /ɛ/ or /ɑː/ when read aloud. Therefore, you say an MBA, an HR manager, and an SOS signal, but a VIP and a CEO.

When an adjective sits between the article and the noun, match the article to that adjective, not to the noun behind it. A noun that normally takes a will switch to an if the describing word opens with a vowel sound. Likewise, a noun that usually takes an will switch to a if an inserted adjective starts with a consonant sound. Always inspect the exact word that immediately touches the article.

Use a or an with a singular countable noun. For an uncountable amount, add a unit such as a glass of water or a piece of advice. Some nouns also have countable uses: a water can mean one serving of water. Check the meaning of the noun, then choose the article by the next sound.