3 ms·
> I bet the real rule is some reality about feasibility of pronunciation, even though native english speakers see the rules explained in terms of spellings. Th
by JoshTriplett 3y ago
> I bet the real rule is some reality about feasibility of pronunciation, even though native english speakers see the rules explained in terms of spellings.
The rule as often given in English classes is to use "an" if a word starts with a "vowel sound", rather than starting with a vowel. So, it's "an herb" (since the 'h' is silent in (American) English), but "a ubiquitous".
Relatedly, you can infer whether someone likely pronounces "URL" by spelling it out (like "you are ell") or as a word (like "earl") based on whether they write "a URL" or "an URL".
- mvc 3y agoAs someone who uses a dialect/accent of English that means I often pronounce these "silent" letters (e.g. I would pronounce the "h" in herb), I've often wondered if selection of "a" vs "an" is supposed to be accent specific.
- JoshTriplett 3y agoI think so, yes; if you say "herb" with a non-silent 'h', you'd write "a herb". By way of example, the name Herb is commonly pronounced with a non-silent H, so even in a dialect where "herb" is pronounced "erb", you'd write "A Herb picked up an herb.".