Practice
English practice: articles a, an, and the
Sign in to saveYou might say I need a pen at the start of a meeting, then ask Where is the pen? later. The noun has not changed, but what the listener knows has. Articles help you show that difference in a few small words.
Choose a, an, or the by checking the noun's opening sound, whether it is one countable thing, and whether the listener can identify it.
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; a uniform /ən ˈaʊə/; /ə ˈjuːnɪfɔːm/
The short answer
Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound. Use the for a particular noun that the context, an earlier sentence, or a shared place makes clear.
An email arrived this morning, but the email had no subject line.
Why it works: An introduces one email. The refers to that same email after it has been mentioned.
6 more examples
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I met a neighbor in the hallway.
Neighbor is one countable person, and the speaker does not identify which neighbor before this sentence.
Not this:
The neighborfrom apartment six offered to help. What changes: From apartment six identifies one particular neighbor, so use the. -
She brought an umbrella because the forecast warned of rain.
Umbrella begins with a vowel sound, so an is used for one non-specific umbrella.
Not this:She left
a coatby the door. What changes: Coat begins with a consonant sound, so it takes a. -
We waited for an hour outside the clinic.
The h in hour is silent, so hour starts with a vowel sound.
Not this:He chose
a uniformfor his new job. What changes: Uniform begins with the consonant sound /j/, like you, so it takes a. -
I found a recipe for vegetable soup.
A recipe introduces one recipe from many possible recipes.
Not this:
The recipeneeds two onions. What changes: The second sentence refers back to the recipe already introduced. -
Please switch off the light near the stairs.
Near the stairs tells the listener which light to find.
Not this:
A lightcame on in the storage room. What changes: A light introduces one unspecified light for the first time. -
The doctor called after lunch with the test results.
The context can identify a person when both speakers know which doctor is involved.
Not this:I need to see
a doctorthis week. What changes: A doctor means any suitable doctor, not one identified person.
Read the full guide
Start with the noun, not the article. Ask whether it is one countable thing. If it is, ask whether the listener knows which one you mean. Use a or an for a new, non-specific thing. Use the when the noun is already clear. Then listen to the opening sound to choose between a and an.
Find the noun before you choose an article
Look at the noun and the words around it first. A singular countable noun such as ticket, teacher, or umbrella often needs an article. The meaning of the whole noun phrase tells you whether you are introducing one thing or pointing to a known thing.
I need a ticket for tomorrow's train.
A ticket means one ticket from many possible tickets.
Which noun phrase names one countable thing: a ticket or tickets?
A ticket names one countable thing. Tickets is plural.
Use a for a consonant sound
Use a when the next word begins with a consonant sound. The first written letter is often helpful, but your ear makes the final decision. Book, phone, and useful all begin with consonant sounds.
He gave me a useful suggestion.
Useful begins with a /j/ sound, similar to yes, so it takes a.
Choose the article: She is ___ university student.
Use a: She is a university student. University begins with a /j/ sound.
Use an for a vowel sound
Use an when the next word begins with a vowel sound. Apple and email are clear examples. Some written h words also begin with a vowel sound when the h is silent, including hour and honest.
We had an honest conversation after work.
Honest has a silent h, so the first sound is a vowel sound.
Choose the article: It took ___ hour to finish the form.
Use an: It took an hour to finish the form.
Use the for a particular noun
Use the when your listener can identify the person or thing. You may have mentioned it already, added a description, or be talking about something both people can see. The says that you mean this one, not any one.
Can you open the window beside your desk?
Beside your desk identifies one particular window.
Which form refers back to a book you mentioned before: a book or the book?
Use the book because both speakers can identify the book from the earlier conversation.
Use the after you introduce a noun
A common pattern is to introduce a noun with a or an, then refer to it with the. The first sentence gives the listener new information. The next sentence points back to the same person or thing.
A package arrived this morning. The package is on the reception desk.
A package introduces one package. The package refers to that same package.
Check whether the context identifies the noun
Before you fill a blank, ask two questions. Is this one countable thing? Can the listener identify which one? If the answer is one thing but not identified, choose a or an by sound. If it is identified, choose the.
Could you bring the folder from my desk?
From my desk makes the folder specific. Without that context, a folder could mean any folder.
What should you check before choosing an article?
Check the noun's number, its opening sound when you need a or an, and whether the listener can identify it.
Before you go
Remember this
Choose a or an for one new, non-specific countable noun. Choose by sound: an hour, but a uniform. Choose the when the noun is particular and the listener can identify it from the words or the situation. Read the whole noun phrase before you decide.
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 "English practice: articles a, an, and the"
When should I use a or an?
Use a or an with one singular countable noun when you do not mean a particular known one. Choose by sound: I met a neighbor in the hallway uses a, while She brought an umbrella uses an because umbrella begins with a vowel sound.
I met a neighbor in the hallway.
Why do we say an hour but a uniform?
The choice follows the opening sound, not simply the first letter. In We waited for an hour outside the clinic, the h in hour is silent. In He chose a uniform for his new job, uniform begins with the consonant sound /j/, like you.
The neighbor from apartment six offered to help.
When do I use the?
Use the when the listener can identify the noun. Please switch off the light near the stairs identifies one light with a description. You can also use the after introducing a noun, as in I found a recipe for vegetable soup. The recipe needs two onions.
She brought an umbrella because the forecast warned of rain.
Can I use the without mentioning the noun first?
Yes. The situation or a description can make the noun clear without an earlier sentence. The doctor called after lunch works when both speakers know which doctor is involved. The light near the stairs works because the phrase identifies one light.
She left a coat by the door.
What should I check before choosing an article?
First, check whether the noun is one countable thing. Next, decide whether it is particular and identifiable. If it is new and non-specific, choose a or an by sound. If it is identifiable, choose the, as in the neighbor from apartment six.
We waited for an hour outside the clinic.