Should one use "an" before a word starting with "h" and a vowel?

Question

For example -
Is it correct to say "an hotel"; "an hospital"; "an historical event"; "an hat"???
I thought this was wrong but, as a self professed pedant (!), am in two minds and would like to know the correct usage of "an" in these cases. Isn't the english language confusing!!

Answer 1

As long as you admit that you're a pedant! :)

Just so you know, in general, the choice about whether to use "a" or "an" is based on the following sound. If the sound is a consonant sound, "a" is the one that native speakers use. If the sound is a vowel sound, native speakers use "an". Some words spelled with "h", such as "hour", start with vowel sounds, so they are preceded by "an". (In a similar fashion, some words that are spelled with vowels, but start with consonant sounds, such as "union", are preceded by "a"). This is a completely unconscious process and we don't really need any prescriptivist to tell us what to do. So, in a way, my answer to the question is, "If you're a native speaker, do whatever you think is right, and that'll be right."

The Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English contains the following (I'll use single quotes instead of italics):
"There is variation in the form of the indefinite article before some words spelled with an initial 'h' in an unstressed syllable. For example, in the LSWE Corpus the word 'history' is always used with 'a', but historical takes 'a' and 'an' with about equal frequency."

As far as I know there is not any grammar "rule" on this, so you are perfectly free to do what you wish. But if you want to do what a population of native speakers of English usually does, you can use "an" before a word that starts with the "h" sound in an unstressed syllable about half the time. The LGSWE implies that h-words that are stressed on the first syllable (e.g., "history") always use "a".

(It makes me wonder whether the variation exists within individuals or between individuals. That is, I wonder if the same person will sometimes use both articles, or whether each person has just one article that he/she will use in this situation all the time. I suspect that the variation exists within individuals; that is, that many people use both articles sometimes.)

Answer 2

I believe the only cases where "an" precedes a word beginning with H is historic and historical.

Answer 3

you use "an" before a word which, when pronounced. has a vowel sounding first letter.

example.
an apple, an airplane, an "h", an "m", an "n"

notice that i use an before h,m and n, thats because, when pronounced, it goes like this, eych, em, en. it has a vowel sounding first letter.

so, do not look at the first letter of the word. instead, go for the pronounciation.

Answer 4

unless the h is silent as in hour, use a. if it is silent and the first sound is a vowel as in an hour then use an. I believe this is correct.

Answer 5

NO it is not correct all of them should be "a" as a hotel.

Answer 6

I would say it's incorrect use "an" before a word starting with "h".