Sunday, January 26, 2014

usage - When using "an" before a vowel sounds wrong











Consider the following sentence:
"This is a one-time deal" sounds right
"This is an one-time deal" sounds wrong



"One" is pronounced the same as "won", which wouldn't require an "an".




Is it proper/required to use the 'an' before a vowel rule when it just sounds wrong?


Answer



There is no rule that says you must use an before a vowel, only before a word that begins with a vowel sound and takes the indefinite article. University begins with a vowel but not a vowel sound, so it's always a university. The same is true for a one-time deal.


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