Indefinite Articles: A and An

Indefinite Articles: A and An

By Yenifer Yanes Y

Use an when the indefinite article comes before a word beginning with a vowel sound:

Examples:​

an operation

an idea

an apple​

Use a when the indefinite article comes before a word beginning with a consonant sound:

Examples:

a toy

a book

a house​

Indefinite articles are used when we are referring to an unspecified thing or quantity. We use them when we don’t know (or don’t care) which thing we’re talking about.​

RULES​

Exceptions

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​

​

It’s important to note that not all nouns that begin with a consonant begin with the consonant sound. Always trust the sound, not the letter when applying the a vs. an rule. Remember, it’s about pronunciation. Consider the examples below:​

Incorrect ------------------a hourglass

Correct --------------------an hourglass

​​

Incorrect ------------------a honor

Correct --------------------an honor​

LET'S PRACTICE​

Multiple Choice

Table

• an

• a

Multiple Choice

pencil

• a

• an

Multiple Choice

apple

• an

• a

Multiple Choice

eraser

• an

• a

Multiple Choice

University

• an

• a

Multiple Choice

Euro

• an

• a