do you use the word 'an' before a word starting with the letter 'h'?
EX: an historic day / a historic day
2007-01-22 13:01:52 · 19 answers · asked by sb_lovesyou 2 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Gee that's AN honest question. I thought about it for over AN hour, and came to the conclusion that "AN" does come before AN "H", but only if the H is silent.
an hour
an honor
a harmonica
a hole
a hand
so... if you hear the "H" give it an "a"
2007-01-22 13:06:48 · answer #1 · answered by Jay M 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It goes by sound -- an before a silent h, a before an h that is sounded. In the particular case of "historic," it may be either, but contemporary usage calls for the h in "historic" to be sounded -- so "a historic event" -- though personally, I think the silent h there sounds better.
2007-01-22 21:12:15 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Certainly you would say "he is an honorable man" as the h in honorable is silent. Where the confusion comes into play is that Americans pronounce the h in some words where the British do not. If you pronounce the h in historic us a, if you do not pronounce the h use a. It was a hot day. I have a hardy appetite.
2007-01-22 21:08:32 · answer #3 · answered by frugernity 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it is a silent 'h' you use 'an'. e.g. an hour, an honest person, an honorable person. If it's not silent you use 'a'. e.g. a horrible sight, a happy event.
The exception to this is 'an historic' as you have written.
The words 'herb' and 'humble' are often pronounced 'erb' and 'umble' by some people and therefore would have 'an' before them too. Personally I like to sound the 'h' in those two words, so I would say 'a herb' and 'a humble person'.
2007-01-22 22:30:13 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
An historic day...I think it has something to do with the first syllable sounding like a vowel. For example, an honor (silent h).
2007-01-22 21:06:24 · answer #5 · answered by fdm215 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
a historic day
2007-01-22 21:04:44 · answer #6 · answered by greatnewsbearer 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
u use'an' when there's a vowel after the word like: an apple
an elephant
and 'a' when there's a constanant after the word like: a historical day.
2007-01-22 21:05:32 · answer #7 · answered by Midnight 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think now-a-days, both are correct. in the past, it was correct to use "an" with a word beginning with "h". "an historic day"
2007-01-22 21:09:32 · answer #8 · answered by practicalwizard 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
a historic day.
2007-01-22 21:05:00 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A historic day would be correct. With all consonants in the alphabet, sometimes "an" is needed, but 'h' does not regularly need it.
2007-01-22 21:05:12 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋