Distinguish A And An

Skill

Distinguish A And An

No description

The basic difference between a and an is that a is used in front of consonants and an is used in front of vowels (a, e, i, o, u).

Examples with 'a':

  • a book
  • a man
  • a page

Examples with 'an':

  • an orange
  • an illness
  • an automobile

There are two exceptions to this rule: u and h. When u is pronounced like the consonant y (as in usual), it is preceded by the article a rather than an. When h is not pronounced (as in honor), it is preceded by the article an rather than a. Pronounce the following examples:

  • 'U' with a consonant 'y' sound: a university, a unit
  • 'U' with a vowel sound: an unhappy man, an understanding
  • 'H' with a consonant sound: a hospital, a heart
  • 'H' that is silent: an honor, an herb

The following chart outlines the key information about the use of a and an:

  • A is used in front of a singular noun with a consonant sound.
  • AN is used in front of a singular noun with a vowel sound.
  • Be careful of nouns beginning with H or U. They may have a vowel or a consonant sound.

Exercise

Complete the following exercises to reinforce what you’ve learned:

Each of the following sentences contains a or an. Circle each a or an. Underline the beginning of the word that directly follows. Pronounce the word. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

  1. The dishwasher quit his job because he was making only four dollars a hour.
  2. It was an unexpected disappointment to receive a rejection letter from the university.
  3. It is raining, so you should bring a umbrella.
  4. He bought a half gallon of milk and a box of a hundred envelopes.
  5. An objection was raised because it was such a unacceptable idea.
  6. The workers at the plant do not belong to a union.
  7. The police officer was not wearing an uniform when she arrested the suspect.
  8. If you do not give me a hand, finishing the project on time will be an impossibility.
  9. She was upset when a honest mistake was made.
  10. She opened a account at a local department store.

Related quizzes

No quizzes yet

There are no quizzes for this skill yet. Generate a custom exercise tailored to it.

Generate exercise