Friday, September 22, 2017

word choice - What is the rule for using "a" or "an" in a sentence?






Possible Duplicates:
“A user” or “an user”?
Use of “a” versus “an”






If I remember correctly back to my school days, the rule is to use "a" if the next word starts with a consonant, or "an" if the next word is a vowel.



For example:





  • This is a banana.

  • This is an egg.



If the above is correct, then why does this sentence sound wrong...?




  • The account requires an username.



Answer



When a word begins with a u, sometimes it a acquires what linguists call a "y-glide": a pronunciation that makes it sound like it begins with a "y":




  • user (yoozer)

  • uniform (yooniform)

  • ubiquitous (yoobiquitous)



And so on.




Now think of words you pronounce that begin with "y": a youth, a yew — you wouldn't say "an youth" or "an yew".



So we say "a user" but "an understanding" — just that simple.


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