Using ‘An’ with Words Not Beginning with Vowels

  1. Words Beginning with Silent ‘H’
  2. an hour (onest sound)
  3. an honest person (onest sound)
  4. an honor (onor sound)
  5. an honorable mention (onor sound)
  6. an heir (air sound)
  7. an heiress (air sound)
  8. an herbal tea (in British English – erb-al sound)
  9. an historic event (in British English – ist-oric sound)
  10. an honorific title (onor sound)
  11. an hourly update (our-ly sound)
  12. an honorary degree (on-or-ary sound)
  13. an hourlong meeting (our-long sound)
  1. Acronyms/Initialisms Starting with Consonant Letters but Pronounced with Vowel Sounds
  2. an MBA (em-bee-ay sound)
  3. an NHS doctor (en-aitch-es sound, British National Health Service)
  4. an MP (em-pee sound)
  5. an MSc degree (em-es-see sound)
  6. an FBI agent (ef-bee-eye sound)
  7. an LCD screen (el-see-dee sound)
  8. an MRI scan (em-ar-eye sound)
  9. an NBC show (en-bee-see sound)
  10. an NHL team (en-aitch-el sound)
  11. an RSVP card (ar-es-vee-pee sound)
  12. an FAQ section (ef-ay-que sound)
  13. an LGBTQ+ event (el-gee-bee-tee-que sound)
  1. Numbers
  2. an 11th place finish (eleven sound)
  3. an 18-wheeler (eigh-teen sound)
  4. an 80-year-old man (eigh-ty sound)
  5. an 8th grade student (ei-ghth sound)

Usage Notes:

  1. The key is to focus on the sound, not the spelling
  2. Some words may vary based on regional pronunciation
  3. Some cases (like “historic”) are debatable and both “a” and “an” might be acceptable
  4. With acronyms, use “an” if the first letter is pronounced with a vowel sound

Common Contexts and Example Sentences:

Medical/Academic

– “She needs an MRI appointment.”

– “He received an honorary doctorate.”

– “The study will take an hour and a half.”

 Business/Professional

– “She has an MBA from Harvard.”

– “We scheduled an hourly check-in.”

– “They sent an RSVP to the event.”

General Usage

– “It was an honest mistake.”

– “The crown passed to an heir.”

– “We watched an NBC documentary.”

 Regional Variations

Some words, particularly those beginning with ‘h’, may be pronounced differently in different English-speaking regions, affecting whether ‘a’ or ‘an’ is used:

British English might use “an” before:

– an historic

– an hotel (in some traditional usage)

– an herbal

American English typically uses “a” for these words:

– a historic

– a hotel

– a herbal

Testing Tip

To determine whether to use “an” with a word not beginning with a vowel:

  1. Say the word out loud
  2. Listen to the first sound (not letter)
  3. If the first sound is vowel-like, use “an”
  4. If uncertain, consult a pronunciation dictionary