YAGT: A versus An

[HonkeyDonk]

If yo'ure too lazy to re-read...this was copied from Simms above

A or An?
According to The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style, "The indefinite article a is used before words beginning with a consonant sound, including /y/ and /w/ sounds. The other form, an, is used before words beginning with a vowel sound. Hence, a European country, a Ouija board, a uniform, an FBI agent, an MBA degree, an SEC filing.

Writers on usage formerly disputed whether the correct article is a or an with historian, historic, and a few other words. The traditional rule is that if the h- is sounded, a is the proper form. Most people following that rule would say a historian and a historic--e.g.:'Democrat Bill Clinton appears within reach of capturing the White House in Tuesday's election, but Republicans hope that late momentum, can enable President Bush to win a historic upset' (Dallas Morning News). Even H.W. Fowler, in the England of 1926, advocated a before historic(al) and humble (MEU1).
The theory behind using an in such a context, however, is that the h- is very weak when the accent is on the second rather than the first syllable (giving rise, by analogy, to an habitual offender, an humanitarian, an hallucinatory image, and an harassed schoolteacher). Thus no authority countenances an history[emphasis added], though a few older ones prefer an historian and an historical.
Today, however, an hypothesis and an historical are likely to strike readers and listeners as affectations. As Mark Twain once wrote, referring to humble, heroic, and historical: 'Correct writers of the American language do not put an before those words' (The Stolen White Elephant,1882). Anyone who sounds the h- in such words should avoid pretense and use a (Garner 1).

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: Mrvile
Yes, eulogy begins with a Y sound, therefore it is A EULOGY.

So what about an opening and an optometrist?

those start with vowels

 

[Kibbo]

An o-pen-ing

It starts with an "O" sound, which is a vowel.

If you are pronouncing it YU-Pening, you are a freak

That's A F-Reak!!!

A R-etard!!

AN Arr-Tard!!! (Spelled r-tard, if you are S-low)

 

[ohtwell]

It all has to do with the sound at the beginning of the word. I can't say I fully understand it, I just know when to use "a" or "an".


: ) Amanda

 

[Goosemaster]

There are at least 20 dumbassess on this board..

 

[ribbon13]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
There are at least 20 dumbassess on this board..

I think you missed a few digits.

 

[dighn]

hmm

i had always thought it should be "an" in those cases. learned something new. (english is not my first language)

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: HonkeyDonk
holy crap you're retarded.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: her209

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: her209
What about:

A optometrist
An optometrist

A opening
An opening

So why is it:

A uniform
An uniform

A underling
An underling

Uniform starts with a consonant sound while underling starts with a vowel sound The sound is really all that matters; case in point: hour and honor

 

[maziwanka]

Originally posted by: simms
How is this related to girls?

exactly. hahahha