Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
'A' versus 'an.' 'Larruping' rides again. Euonyms. Flavoring.
Feb 6, 2024
The podcast discusses the use of 'a' or 'an' before the letter 'H' and explores pronunciation differences between American and British English. They also delve into indefinite and definite articles, share interesting language phenomena, and discuss stories from listeners.
12:53
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Quick takeaways
- The use of A or N before words starting with the letter H depends on their pronunciation, with 'an' used before words pronounced with a vowel sound and 'a' used before words pronounced with an 'h' sound.
- The choice of articles in English can be influenced by regional variations in pronunciation, such as the difference between American and British English in the pronunciation of the word 'herb'.
Deep dives
Using A and N before words starting with H
The podcast episode discusses the use of A and N before words starting with the letter H. While the general rule states that A is used before words starting with consonants and N before words starting with vowels, the letter H can vary. It depends on the pronunciation of the word. For example, the word 'honor' starts with an H but is pronounced with a vowel sound, so 'an honor' is correct. On the other hand, 'horror' starts with an H sound, so it is correct to say 'a horror'. Similar exceptions can occur with other letters that can sound like vowels at the beginning of words.
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