An habit", or "a habit"? What counts, in this case, the first letter of the word, or the sound of it?
Thank you for your answer! :) Have a wonderful day!
2007-06-14 02:08:23 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Good morning, dear! :)
2007-06-14 02:17:53 · update #1
Deciding whether to use 'a' or 'an', is not based on whether it is followed by a vowel or a consonant by rather whether it is followed by a vowel or consonant sound.
English is not a phonetic language which means that our letters don't really represent sounds the way they do in some languages. A letter can represent many different sounds so this complicates things greatly.
Having said all of that there are exceptions thrown in too. For a word like 'Historian', you can use either 'a' or 'an' ('an' being the older usage and 'a' being the newer one)
OK I'll shut up now...
2007-06-14 02:31:33 · answer #1 · answered by megalomaniac 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
A Habit, what counts is the first letter of the word in this case, it;s definetly not the sound.
2007-06-20 09:03:53 · answer #2 · answered by Alicia R 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A habit is correct since habit begins with a consonant. An follows words beginning with vowels like AEIO & U. See the sight below for exceptions and an explaination of when to use "A" versus "An" I hope this helps. ;-)
2007-06-14 13:49:38 · answer #3 · answered by DB 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A habit
2007-06-14 02:17:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi sis, good morning!
I have NEVER seen or heard anyone write "an habit." I always use "a habit."
2007-06-14 02:15:42 · answer #5 · answered by zen 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would write it as "a habit"...most times, I think "an" should come before a word that starts with a vowel....it's usually "a" something, or other when it starts with a consonant.
2007-06-14 02:13:53 · answer #6 · answered by Sydney Paws 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
the H is hard, so it's 'a' habit. Even with an H that's sometimes pronounced soft, like Hotel, it's usual nowadays for it to be 'a' rather than 'an'.
2007-06-14 02:12:10 · answer #7 · answered by SLF 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
a habit is correct. "A" should always followed by the consonant lsounds like h, b, c, d, f, etc. Ex:: A man, a book. "An" is always followed by the vowel sounds like a, e, i, o and u. Ex: an apple, an elephant.
2007-06-14 02:24:01 · answer #8 · answered by rona 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
G'day.
I agree with SLF. It's a habit, because you can hear the H sound.
However, with softer H like hour, it is AN hour.
bye.
2007-06-14 14:45:17 · answer #9 · answered by waterlily 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
it's "A" habit, the sound it's what counts.
2007-06-21 04:14:07 · answer #10 · answered by ♥ Ferdie ♥ 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋