a or an before anime

Do you use a or an when starting a word?

Here’s the secret to making the rule work: The rule applies to the sound of the letter beginning the word, not just the letter itself. The way we say the word will determine whether or not we use a or an. If the word begins with a vowel sound, you must use an. If it begins with a consonant sound, you must use a.

Do you put an before or after an acronym?

If the acronym starts with the sound of a vowel, you will use An before the acronym. This can be tricky because words that start with consonants can use An. Letters that are vowel-sounding and need An include X, S, R, O, N, M, L, I, H, F, E, and A.

When to use a or an before nouns?

When To Use A or An Before Nouns | Gary Skyner Online English A or An before nouns? An should be used before nouns that talk about one person or thing, and begin with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u). An elephant is next to my car.

Does it matter what comes before or after a word?

It just matters how it is pronounced. Use a before a word with a consonant sound as well as y and w sounds. Which means it is not unusual to find a before a word starting with a vowel or an before a word starting with a consonant. Get that essay, email, or letter to Nana over the finish line with a little writing help from Grammar Coach™.

The Rule

The rule states that “a” should be used before words that begin with consonants (e.g., b, c ,d) while “an” should be used before words that begin with vowels (e.g., a,e,i). Notice, however, that the usage is determined by the pronunciation and not by the spelling, as many people wrongly assume.

Abbreviations

Deciding which version you should use with abbreviations is the tricky part. First of all you need to understand if the abbreviation is pronounced as a single word or letter by letter.

24 Comments

Thanks for these tips! I just read a publicly posted US government document where they used "a" before the abbreviation "FFS" and it seemed wrong to me. Your article confirmed that my teachers in India taught me correctly. more »

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The rule for Acronyms as Abbreviations

There are some acronyms that can be pronounced as a word, like NASCAR, or just a series of letters called abbreviations, like NBC.

Rules for Acronyms as Words

When the acronym can be pronounced as a word, the first letter will determine whether you use A or An before the acronym.

Abbreviations vs. Words

Choosing whether to use A or An before an acronym can be done using the abbreviation or the verbalized word. Using the abbreviation to determine which to use will sound more natural in your head and as it comes out of your mouth. This is also the case for when you pluralize acronyms.

Examples of A and An

Since it is most common to use the sound of the first letter to determine A or An, that is what we are going to discuss with a quick example of the acronym as a word.