2006-08-24 18:11:22 · 9 answers · asked by ¸.•*´`*♥ ♥I.C.J.♥ ♥*´`*•.¸ 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Homework Help
it's because of the way it sounds when it's spoken. to say "a apple" sounds weird, so you say "an apple"
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it's hilarious how we all used the word apple
2006-08-24 18:16:50 · answer #1 · answered by Jim 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An "an" comes before vowels to make the sound smooth. Just try saying "a orange" and then "an orange", or "a apple" and then "an apple". But gotta be careful: if a vowel has a sound like "y" or "w" then it does not get an "an" before it. This would be like "a yellow flower", " a usual time" "a wonderful car", but not "an unusual smell", etc. H is more difficult. The rule is, if the h is like the one in "hurt" or "house", it would be "a hurt", or "a house", but it would be "an hour" because the h is not pronounced. Some people would say "an historic event" and some would say "a historic event", just like you could say "a herb" or "an herb" (depending on whether you pronounce the h or not). Does that help?
2006-08-25 01:24:35 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you mean an before words beginning with a vowel? It is proper grammar made up many years ago! It sounds better also. A apple fell off the tree. An apple fell off of the tree. See, much better!
2006-08-25 01:14:18 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
It doesn't come before vowels; it comes before vowel sounds: an hour, an honest man. It is an aid to speech flow.
2006-08-25 01:20:41 · answer #4 · answered by Bethany 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it is not a hard and fast rule that "an" should comes only before vowels. it can comes before the consonants.
for eg: an hour ago, an honest man.
it is just matter of speaking
hour is pronounced as 'au(-&)r
and honest is pronounced as 'ä-n&st
and apple is pronounced as 'a-p&l
and orange is pronounced as 'är-inj, 'är(-&)nj; chiefly Northern and Midland 'or-inj, 'or(-&)nj
"yü-n&-'v&r-s&-tE, -'v&r-stE
2006-08-25 03:31:58 · answer #5 · answered by true_flower 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because the english language sucks. they have all these if and then rules because the language is whack. i before e except after these nutz. they would be better off with a more systematic language.
2006-08-25 05:08:53 · answer #6 · answered by loseribe 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
say "a apple", ok, now say "an apple".....because it sounds better! lol look up linguistics
2006-08-25 01:15:39 · answer #7 · answered by Jaybird 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to make sentences flow better.
2006-08-25 01:14:06 · answer #8 · answered by wildstar_2 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
http://www.yaelf.com/aueFAQ/mifnbforbbrvitions.shtml
2006-08-25 01:18:38 · answer #9 · answered by evelyn_01 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋