Practice
A or an? Choose by sound
Sign in to saveI need a uniform for work and an umbrella for the rain. The first letters are both vowels, but the first sounds are different.
Choose a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound, including words such as university and hour.
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
a university / an hour /ə juːnɪˈvɜːsəti/ /ən ˈaʊə/
The short answer
Use a before a consonant sound, such as a book or a university. Use an before a vowel sound, such as an apple or an hour.
We booked a university tour and an hour with the adviser.
Why it works: University begins with a /j/ sound, so it takes a. Hour begins with a vowel sound because the h is silent, so it takes an.
5 more examples
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She brought a banana and an orange for lunch.
Banana starts with the consonant sound /b/. Orange starts with a vowel sound, so the two articles are different.
Not this:She brought
an banana and a orangefor lunch. What changes: These choices do not match the opening sounds. Use a before banana and an before orange. -
He is a university student and an honest person.
University begins with a /j/ sound, like you. Honest begins with a vowel sound because the h is silent.
Not this:He is
an university student and a honest person. What changes: The letters u and h do not decide the article. The opening sounds do. -
Please send a useful link and an easy example.
Useful starts with a /j/ sound, while easy starts with a vowel sound. Choose from the adjective because it follows the article.
Not this:Please send
an useful link and a easy example. What changes: The noun does not choose the article here. The first sound of useful or easy chooses it. -
They shared an FBI report and a URL for the meeting.
FBI begins with the spoken letter F, which starts with a vowel sound. URL begins with the spoken letter U, which starts with a /j/ sound.
Not this:They shared
a FBI report and an URLfor the meeting. What changes: Read an abbreviation by its spoken name. The first written letter may not show the first sound. -
We paid a one-time fee after an hour of training.
One begins with a /w/ sound, so it takes a. Hour begins with a vowel sound, so it takes an.
Not this:We paid
an one-time fee after a hourof training. What changes: Use the sounds /w/ in one and the vowel sound at the start of hour to make the choice.
Read the full guide
Say the next word quietly to yourself. If its first sound is like the beginning of book, use a. If its first sound is like the beginning of apple, use an. The spelling may support the choice, but the sound decides it.
Use a and an with one countable thing
Use a or an when you mean one singular countable person or thing. You can say a chair, an idea, a teacher, or an umbrella. The article usually comes before the noun, but an adjective can come between the article and the noun.
I saw a small dog near an empty bus stop.
Small begins with a consonant sound, so it takes a. Empty begins with a vowel sound, so it takes an.
Choose the article: I need ___ ticket for the train.
Use a ticket. Ticket starts with the consonant sound /t/.
Listen to the first sound
The first sound of the next word decides the article. Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound. This is a sound rule, so saying the phrase aloud can help when spelling feels confusing.
We found a book and an address.
Book begins with /b/, a consonant sound. Address begins with a vowel sound.
Do not choose an just because the next word begins with a vowel letter. The letter is useful only when it matches the sound.
Watch for letters and sounds that differ
Some vowel letters begin with a consonant sound. University, useful, and one begin with a /j/ or /w/ sound, so use a. Some words beginning with h have no /h/ sound. Hour and honest begin with a vowel sound, so use an.
She needs a uniform for class and an hour to prepare.
Uniform starts with /j/, like you. Hour starts with a vowel sound because the h is silent.
Choose the articles: ___ honest answer and ___ useful answer.
Write an honest answer and a useful answer. Honest begins with a vowel sound; useful begins with /j/.
Choose from the word next to the article
When an adjective comes before the noun, choose a or an from the adjective's first sound. The noun does not control the article when another word comes first. This is why we say an old book and a useful book.
An unusual question needs a clear answer.
Unusual begins with a vowel sound, so it takes an. Clear begins with /k/, so it takes a.
Use the same check with abbreviations. Say the letters as you normally would. An MRI scan is correct because M begins with the vowel sound /e/. A URL is correct because U begins with the /j/ sound.
Say the phrase once before you write
For a quick check, say the article and the next word together. If the next word starts with a vowel sound, choose an. If it starts with a consonant sound, choose a. This check also works when the next word is an adjective or an abbreviation.
I need an umbrella, a one-day pass, and an X-ray.
Umbrella and the spoken letter X begin with vowel sounds. One-day begins with /w/, so it takes a.
Complete the sentence: We need ___ assistant for ___ university event.
Write an assistant and a university event. Assistant begins with a vowel sound. University begins with /j/.
Before you go
Remember this
Start with the next sound. A letter alone can mislead. Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound. Check the first word after the article, including an adjective or an abbreviation.
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 "A or an? Choose by sound"
What is the difference between a and an?
A and an have the same basic meaning, but they match different opening sounds. Use a before a consonant sound, as in a banana or a useful link. Use an before a vowel sound, as in an orange or an easy example.
She brought a banana and an orange for lunch.
Why do we say a university but an hour?
University begins with the /j/ sound, like the start of you, so it takes a. In hour, the h is silent and the word begins with a vowel sound, so it takes an. The sound, rather than the first letter, chooses the article.
She brought an banana and a orange for lunch.
Do I choose a or an before an adjective?
Choose from the first sound of the adjective because it is the word next to the article. Write an old book because old begins with a vowel sound, but a useful book because useful begins with the /j/ sound.
He is a university student and an honest person.
How do I use a and an with abbreviations?
Say the abbreviation by its letter names and choose from the first spoken sound. Use an before an abbreviation that begins with a vowel sound, such as an FBI report. Use a before one that begins with a consonant sound, such as a URL.
He is an university student and a honest person.
Can the same word take a or an with different pronunciations?
Yes. A few words can vary with pronunciation. Most speakers say a historic event because they pronounce the h. A speaker who does not pronounce that first sound may use an historic event. Match the article to the sound you use.
Please send a useful link and an easy example.