Why is the article "an" placed before the word historic? If h is a consonant.?

Answer 1

MissUnderstood is on the right track. But it's not quite that simple.

First, do note that the basic rule about whether a or an is used is based on the initial SOUND of the noun, not on the letter with which it begins. (#1 below covers one side of this. On the other, we have "a eunuch" or "a ukelele" in which the noun is pronounced with a consonantal "y-" at the beginning, so takes "a" NOT "an").

So here are the reason-S why "an" may appear before a word beginning with /h/:

1) the initial /h/ IS not pronounced (the sort of case MissUnderstood was talking about)
* generally in "hours" hono(u)r"
* American English - "herb"
* some dialects "humble", "hotel"

2) history - that is, the /h/ USED to be silent:
there are a number of words whose initial /h/ was originally not pronounced, esp. those derived from (Old) French, which did not pronounce it (sometimes did not even spell it)

Some of these (examples listed in #1) STILL do not pronounce the /h/ in many or all English dialects. Others that have added a pronounced /h/ may still be treated as if they did not have it -- 'historic(al)' is perhaps the best example of this

BUT this is not enough -- those who say "an historic(al) event" (pronouncing the /h/) ALSO usually say "a history"!
So, there's one other very important factor, which is:


**3) The syllable starting with /h/ LACKS an ACCENT
--Specifically, if the SECOND syllable is accented, the initial /h/ is WEAKER, perhaps only very slightly pronounced (It seems especially weak if the following vowel is formed in the front of the mouth -- a, i, e (as opposed to vowels made further back -- o, u)

So, if the first syllable HAS an accent (especially the MAIN accent of the word) it is preceded by "a" --thus we say "A HISTORY" (unless, of course, you have a Cockney accent)

To get the sense of how this works, just try saying the word "historic" all by itself. You may notice that you scarcely pronounce the /h/. Even if you do, it may feel like it takes extra energy do so (whereas when you say "history" the 'energy' is already supplied by accenting the syllable)

[Some have said 'accented' or 'unaccented', but this is not quite correct. When the SECOND syllable is accented, the first syllable has the LEAST accent; if a LATER syllable has the primary accent the first syllable may still have a SECONDARY accent, and the 'rule' just described does not apply. Examples: 'hospitality' 'hippopotamus']

In fact, in expressions like "an historic..." many find that the inclusion of the /n/ can actually make the words EASIER to pronounce (though in that case the /h/ is usually only VERY slightly pronounced), and it is ease of pronunciation that drives these things.

Other examples where "an" may somtimes be found (all of which have an accent on the second syllable): "an hereditary title" [vs. "a HERitage], "an habitual liar" [vs. "a HA-bit"], cf. "an hysterical child"

Now if you were to try some of these expressions in a search engine you would likely find that "an historic" and "an historical" are much more common (in proportion to "a historic" "a historical") than these other examples. That leads to the FINAL(?) factor that affects pronunciation.


4) HABIT! That is, we're USED to hearing it that way, so it becomes (or remains) the standard.

The reason 'historic' and 'historical' are far more likely to be preceded by "an" than other words for which the same explanation might seem to fit, is that they are more COMMON words or expressions. People are used to hearing them this way. This is hardly unusual. In any language the LESS common a word is in everyday speech the MORE likely it is speakers apply the "general rules" to that word. Thus, irregular verbs in a language [forms of to be, come, go, sit, etc.] are COMMON words.

In all this, keep in mind that when we talk about "rules" in a language, these are just generalizations or DESCRIPTIONS of general patterns. The speakers of a language are not somehow explain how a and an are used, as helpful as it is, is not some absolute standard to be forced on the living human language. (That may be necessary for computer languages, but human language is different --not 'more illogical' really, but richer and more dynamic.)

Answer 2

The article "an" is used before words that begin with vowels or vowel sounds. Thus, when it comes to "h" words, we say "an hour" or "an honor", because those are words in which the "h: is silent, but we say "a horse" or "a harmonica" because the "h" is pronounced. So why do some people say "an historical occasion" when we wouldn't say "an history"? Of they talk about "an hysterical woman"? Some people think that if the stress is on the second syllable of an "h" word, you need the "an" to make it sound right. But the dictionary says either "a" or "an" can be used in this situation, so I guess it's a question of what sounds right to you.

Answer 3

It's not the first letter of the word that determines which indefinite article to use ("a" or "an"). It's the first phonetic SOUND that makes the decision.

We English-speakers often get a bit lazy when we speak our language, especially if we are speaking quickly. That's why we might write "a historic landmark" (which, technically, is correct since in careful speech we would pronounce the "h"), but we would say "an historic landmark" because we are speaking too quickly to pronounce the "h" sound and we subconsciously substitute "an" for "a."

Answer 4

If in the word in question, the H is not pronounced and vowel sound begins the word, we will use the article "an". A common example is hour. We say an hour, not a hour.

Some people pronounce the h in historic, others don't, which is why some people would use an and others would use a.

Answer 5

‘A’ historic occasion vs. ‘an’ historic occasion: In writing, the form more commonly used is ‘a’ historic occasion. In speaking, you can use both forms, depending on whether the ‘h’ is pronounced or silent.

http://www.betterwritingskills.com/tip-w005.html

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Answer 6

it depends on whether or not a word with an "o" or a vowel is coming after the word historic...like the word event.

Answer 7

it is because the English language is jacked up!

This is also why people from other countries can not speak our language well.

My governor in Cal lee fornya is a great example.

Answer 8

its probably wrong