Choosing A or An
English · Grammar & Punctuation · language
Use the correct form of the indefinite article — 'a' before words beginning with a consonant sound and 'an' before words beginning with a vowel sound (e.g., a rock, an open box, an hour, a unicorn)
What mastery looks like
- Choose 'a' or 'an' correctly before nouns beginning with consonant or vowel sounds (e.g., 'a ball', 'an egg', 'an umbrella')
- Apply the rule to tricky words where spelling and sound differ (e.g., 'an hour' because /h/ is silent, 'a uniform' because /juː/ starts with a consonant sound)
- Correct errors in a/an usage in given sentences (e.g., change 'a orange' to 'an orange')
Check your understanding
When Choosing A or An writes, do they automatically choose "a" before a word that starts with a consonant sound and "an" before a vowel sound — like "a cat" but "an apple" or "an hour"?
Prerequisites
Required first
Helpful
Unlocks (0 directly)
None.