Which is grammatically correct, "an hour'' or ''a hour''?

Question

In the English language the word "an" is supposedly go before a vowel letter. What about in this case?

Answer 1

What a language....

In English, lots of words start with "h". Most have a hard or "h" sound: have, house, hair, heliotrope, Hydrogen. etc. These need an active fricative precedent...namely, a: A house, A hair, A Hydrogen atom.

Some h-words have a soft "h" sound: hour, honor, honest. These require a passive fricative precedent...an: AN hour, AN honor, AN honest person.

Interestingly, you can take A history class and witness AN historic event.

Answer 2

Use "an" before a vowel SOUND. In this instance, "an hour" is correct because the "h" in "hour" is silent. The word "hour" begins with "aw," a vowel sound.

Answer 3

It's "an hour" - an is used not just before a vowel, but a vowel sound.

Answer 4

Is Grammatically Correct

Answer 5

an hour because the h is silent so it sounds like it begins with a vowel

Answer 6

an hour is correct... you don't say "H-OUR" You say "OUR" it's pronounced that way... you don't say "a honest mistake" it's "an honest mistake" you could also say "a ____ (fill in work that begins with a vowel) it's if that word begins sounding like a soft vowel, not actually being a vowel... don't they teach anything in school these days!?!!?

Answer 7

"Hour" is an excellent example of the imprecision in the rule "an before a vowel". One needs to distinguish between a "phonetic" vowel/consonant and "literal" vowel/consonant. "H" is a literal consonant, so in writing, use "a", however, it is pronounced "our", so in speaking, say "an".

Answer 8

an hour... coz hour sounds like it started w/ a vowel...

another example would be... an honor

Answer 9

An hour; purely because 'a hour' is not very easy to say.

Answer 10

It's an hour, probably because in pronunciation the h is silent.