"A" "An" ?

[RATTER15]

A zebra = correct

An Zebra = Wrong

A Elephant = correct?

An Elephant = correct

Im confused as usual :(

[jno]

when is a elephant correct?

[NOX]

Whenever he's threatening to stamp on you if you disagree with him?

[gen2]

If the nown starts with a vowel, or a vowel sound, then usa 'AN', otherwise use 'A'

[mccfluff]

i always thought 'an' was used if the next word began with a vowel

[gen2]

^^^ noUn of course

[annadomino]

If the word starts with a constanant, then it's 'a', if it starts with a vowel, it's 'an', except of course for hotel. Hope this clears it up rofl

[wolf63]

I always thought that "an" went before a word starting with a vowel.

[wolf63]

wow - all answers are in agreement. That doesn't happen often. :-)

[RATTER15]

>>when is a elephant correct? << did you see the question mark?

[TheOtherHalf]

An elephant is always correct. dont you know the phrase An elephant never forgets, so watch what you say to it :>)

[RATTER15]

jno.

>>when is a elephant correct? << did you see the question mark?

[jno]

strictly speaking it's if the word starts with a vowel *sound*. I'd say an hour, an historic occasion, but not an hotel; but some people do pronounce it as an otel.

Also, some people say a haitch, I say an aitch.

[RATTER15]

OK, I get it now, but why?

Just another quirk of our language I suppose?

[gen2]

eg
AN apple
AN eye
AN orange
AN upright
AN hour (vowel sound of an 'o')

but A unicorn because it does not start wit a vowel sound ('Y')

[jackthehat]

Only in the film Dumbo when the crows are singing.......

[jno]

yes, I saw the question mark, but I was trying to be polite rather than coming right out and saying NO, IT'S INCORRECT...

[NOX]

I say 'haitch' because I'm a bog Irish peasant, but I also say 'an hotel'- probably cause my wife was posh- can't remember if I always did that.

[RATTER15]

lol jno, I appreciate your politeness :)

[jno]

actually, I've got myself wrong, I'd say a historic occasion and a history. But soem would say an historic occasion - but never an history, for some reason; I assume it's because the stress falls on a different syllable.

Some words have changed over the years. An umpire, an apron, an adder used to be a numpire, a napron, a nadder.

[rojash]

"Also, some people say a haitch, I say an aitch."
haitch is never correct, no more is feff or lel.