"An hotel" or "a hotel"?
Discussion
I don't know, but I'd have thought that this "rule" originated in the spirit of making a sentence flow nicely, e.g "A hourly rate" lurches of the tongue whilst "An hourly rate" is much smoother.
Somehow I think this rule has been regarded as fixed in stone, so that some people insist on saying "An hotel" which to me just stutters out of one's mouth and sounds absurd.
Personally, I'll be sticking to "A hotel" no matter what the grammar-watchers have to say on the subject.
Somehow I think this rule has been regarded as fixed in stone, so that some people insist on saying "An hotel" which to me just stutters out of one's mouth and sounds absurd.
Personally, I'll be sticking to "A hotel" no matter what the grammar-watchers have to say on the subject.
UKBob said:
'Tis A Hotel
An is used before words starting with vowels methinks, but don't quote me as I only teach small children, and we're not onto complimacated stuff like that yet!
>> Edited by UKBob on Wednesday 1st February 17:43
That's because euphemism is pronounced as if it starts with a Y not an E.
UKBob said:
'Tis A Hotel
An is used before words starting with vowels methinks, but don't quote me as I only teach small children, and we're not onto complimacated stuff like that yet!
I'm rubbish!!! Don't listen to anything I say!!
"A" goes before all words that begin with consonants.
* a cat
* a hotel (where would be if we pronounced it 'otel? I'll tell you, France! that's where!)
* a purple onion
* a wing'd horse of chav-tat
with one exception: Use an before unsounded h.
* an honour
* an honest mistake
"An" goes before all words that begin with vowels:
* an apple
* an egg
* an Indian
* an orbit
* an uprising
with two exceptions: When u (or occasionally 'eu') makes the same sound as the y in you, or o makes the same sound as w in won, then a is used.
* a union
* a euphonium
* a one-eyed trouser snake
>> Edited by hugoagogo on Wednesday 1st February 17:53
* a cat
* a hotel (where would be if we pronounced it 'otel? I'll tell you, France! that's where!)
* a purple onion
* a wing'd horse of chav-tat
with one exception: Use an before unsounded h.
* an honour
* an honest mistake
"An" goes before all words that begin with vowels:
* an apple
* an egg
* an Indian
* an orbit
* an uprising
with two exceptions: When u (or occasionally 'eu') makes the same sound as the y in you, or o makes the same sound as w in won, then a is used.
* a union
* a euphonium
* a one-eyed trouser snake
>> Edited by hugoagogo on Wednesday 1st February 17:53
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