Summary: A or An

[Jeff Hanvey <jewahe -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

Thanks to everyone who responded. A manager who
reviewed my manual insisted that the rule was "a
precedes words that begin with a consonant; an
precedes words that begin with a vowel." He wanted
proof that I was right...and since I haven't
completely moved into this office yet, I don't have my
style guides to show him the "rules." 

My Webster's 10th edition only muddied the water by
saying "In speech and writing a is used before a
consonant sound (a door, a human). Before a vowel
sound an is usual (an icicle, an honor) but especially
in speech a is used occasionally, more often in some
dialects than in others (a apple, a hour, a
obligation). Before consonant sounds represented by a
vowel letter a is usual (a one, a union) but an also
occurs though less frequently now than formerly (an
unique, such an one). Before unstressed or weakly
stressed syllables with initial h both a and an are
used in writing (a historic, an historic) but is
speech an is more frequent whether \h\ is pronounced
or not.

Confusing, huh? Sounds to me like they're saying, "use
whatever you want." I don't know about you, but "an
one" is just plain hard to say. 

Anyway...

Section 14.15 of the Chicago Manual of Style and the
"Dictionary of Problem Words and Expressions" by Harry
Shaw both say use the sound of the word to determine
if it's preceded by a or an. (Thanks to Stephen
Arrants and Jo Baer for looking this up!).

Everyone else agreed that the sounds have it.

(Thanks, salatas, Tom Murrell, Sandra McKenzie, and
Penelope Conlon).



=====
Jeff Hanvey
Memphis, TN

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Send online invitations with Yahoo! Invites.
http://invites.yahoo.com