Practice
Why some consonant words use an
We write an hour and an honest answer, although hour and honest begin with h. The choice follows the first sound you say, not the first letter you see.
Choose a or an by the first sound of the next word, including words and abbreviations that begin with a consonant letter but start with a vowel sound.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
an hour /ən aʊr/
The short answer
Choose an when the next word begins with a vowel sound. Use an before silent-h words such as hour and honest, and before abbreviations that begin with a vowel sound when spoken, such as MBA.
It took an hour to finish the form.
Why it works: Hour begins with the vowel sound /aʊ/, because the h is silent.
5 more examples
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She gave an honest answer.
The h in honest is silent, so the first sound is the vowel /ɒ/.
Not this:She gave
a helpful answer. What changes: Helpful starts with a pronounced /h/ sound, so it uses a. -
We waited for an hour outside the station.
Hour starts with a vowel sound because the h is not pronounced.
Not this:We waited for
a half houroutside the station. What changes: Half begins with a pronounced /h/ sound, so it uses a. -
He is an MBA student.
MBA is spoken letter by letter. M begins with the vowel sound /e/ when you say its name.
Not this:He is
a business student. What changes: Business starts with the consonant sound /b/, so it uses a. -
The doctor ordered an X-ray.
The letter X is spoken as ex, which starts with a vowel sound.
Not this:The doctor ordered
a scan. What changes: Scan starts with the consonant sound /s/, so it uses a. -
They chose a university near home.
University begins with the consonant sound /j/, like you.
Not this:They chose
an unusual coursenear home. What changes: Unusual begins with a vowel sound, so it uses an.
Read the full guide
Say the next word aloud before you choose the article. If the first sound is like the beginning of apple, use an. If it is like the beginning of book or university, use a.
Listen to the first sound
The first letter is not the rule. The first sound is the rule. Use an before a vowel sound and a before a consonant sound.
I need an umbrella.
Umbrella begins with a vowel sound, so an makes the phrase easy to say.
Which article fits before book: a or an?
Use a book because book starts with the consonant sound /b/.
Use an with silent h
In some common words, the first h is written but not spoken. When the h is silent, the word begins with a vowel sound.
It was an honor to meet the author.
Honor begins with a vowel sound because the h is silent.
Choose the article: I made ___ honest mistake.
Use an: I made an honest mistake.
Say abbreviations as letters
Some abbreviations are pronounced one letter at a time. Choose the article from the sound of the first spoken letter, not from its written shape.
An FBI agent spoke to the class.
F is spoken as ef, so the abbreviation begins with a vowel sound.
Choose the article: The nurse scheduled ___ MRI scan.
Use an MRI scan because M is spoken as em.
Do not choose by a vowel letter alone
A word can start with a vowel letter but begin with a consonant sound. The beginning of university sounds like you, so it needs a.
She found a useful website.
Useful begins with the consonant sound /j/, the same first sound as yes.
Choose the article: We need ___ one-page summary.
Use a one-page summary because one begins with the consonant sound /w/.
Check the word you will say
When you are unsure, speak the complete noun phrase. Your ear can often show the first sound more clearly than the spelling.
They watched an unusual film.
Unusual starts with a vowel sound, so an is the natural choice.
Does the phrase begin with a vowel sound: a European city or an European city?
Use a European city because European begins with the consonant sound /j/.
Before you go
Remember this
Use an before a vowel sound, even when the written word starts with a consonant letter. Silent-h words such as hour and honest need an. Abbreviations such as MBA and X-ray also need an because their spoken names begin with vowel sounds. Say the word aloud when spelling and sound do not match.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Why some consonant words use an"
Why do hour and honest use an?
The h is silent in hour and honest. When you say each word, the first sound is a vowel sound. English uses an before that sound, so write an hour and an honest answer.
She gave an honest answer.
Why do MBA and FBI use an?
These abbreviations are usually said letter by letter. M is pronounced em and F is pronounced ef. Both spoken letter names begin with vowel sounds, so use an MBA and an FBI agent.
She gave a helpful answer.
Why is it a university, not an university?
University begins with the sound /j/, like the first sound in you. That is a consonant sound. Use a before it: a university. The letter u does not control the article by itself.
We waited for an hour outside the station.
Do all words beginning with h take a?
Most h words have a pronounced h and take a, as in a house or a helpful colleague. Use an only when the h is silent in the pronunciation you use, as in an hour or an heir.
We waited for a half hour outside the station.
How can I choose a or an when I am not sure?
Say the word or abbreviation aloud. Choose an when the first sound is a vowel sound. Choose a when the first sound is a consonant sound. A learner dictionary can help you check an unfamiliar pronunciation.
He is an MBA student.