a/an

This one seems so obvious. Why, you might ask, am I even taking the time to talk about something you clearly learned in first grade? Well, my friends, the English language is full of exceptions–and many of the “a” vs. “an” exceptions are looked over time and time again.

When you come upon a horse with a long horn upon its head, is it “a unicorn” or “an unicorn”? When you make a mistake, do you call it “an honest error” or “a honest error”? First reactions may say that “an” is always the article used before words starting with vowels, and “a” is before words starting with consonants; however, here are those tricky exceptions I was talking about.

You need to use “an” before an unsounded “h,” as in “honest,” “hour,” or “honor.” You need to use “a” before words that start with the letter “u,” in cases where the sound echoes a “y,” as in “unicorn,” “union,” and “ukulele.”

Stop thinking purely spelling with the a/an rule. Think about the sound. In most cases, if it sounds like it starts with a vowel, go with the “an”; otherwise, “a” is a likely bet. Got it?

Thanks for the reader request on this one. It’s a simple rule, but people confuse it all the time. Does anyone else have any questions about rule exceptions?

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