is it 'a usual' or 'an usual'? 'A usual' sounds more correct in my head ('Today was a usual day.') than 'an usual', but u is a vowel. Which one is correct and why?
Answer
Usual (pronounced /ˈjuː.ʒu.əl/ as in you) begins with a consonant sound and, as such, it should be preceded by a not an.
As an aside, I cannot help but point out that the sentence
Today was a usual day
is not usually heard in regular conversation.
Today was an unusual day
is what one might hear, instead!
Indeed, I rarely hear the construction a usual. The definite article is more commonly used, in my experience:
That's the usual thing.
In place of a usual, one would also be more likely to hear not an unusual:
- Today was a usual day / Today was not an unusual day
- This is a usual occurrence / This is not an unusal occurrence or This usually happens
You are right in saying that a usual sounds weird. As speakers, we tend to avoid constructions which, though correct, do not flow easily from the mouth. In sum, the following are valid and commonly used alternatives:
not [an] unusual • the usual • usually
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