Use “a” and “an” correctly.
The article “a” is used before words that start with consonant sounds: a house, a bird, a scary thought. The article “an” is used before words that start with vowel sounds: an artichoke, an easy task, an honor student (even though “honor” begins with a consonant letter, the “h” is silent. The initial sound is a short “o”).
For whatever reason, “an” is not often used incorrectly. Few people would be tempted to say or write “an nap,” “an pancake,” and so on. The word “a,” on the other hand, is quite often misused, both in speech and in writing. The sentences “May I have a apple?” and “Oh! It’s a enormous bug!” are just plain wrong-but to some people, they sound like proper speech.
Don’t make this mistake. Learn the difference between “a” and “an,” then make sure you use these words correctly.
