A or An - Articles (A1 Grammar)

Use a before consonant sounds and an before vowel sounds.

Quick tip: Say the word out loud. Does it start with a vowel SOUND? Use 'an'. Consonant sound? Use 'a'.

Use A before consonant sounds.

When a word starts with a consonant sound (b, c, d, f, g, etc.), use a.

• a book
• a car
• a dog
• a university (sounds like 'yoo')

Use AN before vowel sounds

When a word starts with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u), use an.

• A → 🍎 an apple
• E → 🐘 an elephant
• I → 🍦 an ice cream
• O → 🐙 an octopus
• U → ☔ an umbrella

It's about SOUND, not spelling

Listen to how the word starts, not just the first letter.

• a uniform (u sounds like 'yoo')
• an honest person (silent 'h')
• a one-way street (sounds like 'w' like wall)

Common mistakes

• Not "a apple" — say "an apple". 'Apple' starts with a vowel sound..
• Not "an university" — say "a university". 'University' starts with a 'yoo' sound..
• Not "a hour" — say "an hour". The 'h' is silent, so it starts with a vowel sound..

Practise it

Vowel sounds: a, e, i, o, u. Remember: it's the SOUND that matters!