Using A and An There is sometimes confusion about whether to use an or a (particularly with abbreviations).

The sound of a word's first letter determines which to use. If the word starts with a vowel sound, you should use an. If it starts with a consonant sound, you should use a. Use an before a word that starts with a vowel sound. If it does not start with a vowel sound, use a. The key word here is sound. It is not a question of whether the word starts with a vowel. It is a question of whether it starts with a vowel sound. !amples" #uy a house in an hour. ($lthou%h house and hour start with the same three letters (hou), one attracts a and the other an.) It would be a honour. ('honour' & starts with an o sound) 'end an U' ambassador. ('U'' & starts with a y sound)

(esterday afternoon, a ) an U' senator who landed at *uton $irport was %reeted by two streakers as he disembarked from his plane. The cheeky welcomin% team escaped their police pursuers by +umpin% a ) an electric fence near the runway. ,olice are now lookin% for a ) an man and woman in their mid thirties. $ ) $n -#I body%uard said, 'I didn't %et a %ood look at him, but she had a small tattoo of a ) an unicorn on her bottom. ' $ ) $n honour %uard provided by the #ritish $rmy %ave chase for more than a ) an hour, but lost track of the couple as they darted throu%h a ) an house in a nearby street. ,olice believe they are local.