INDEFINITE ARTICLES (A OR AN?) EXERCISE 2 (ESL)

Grammar review A or AN? Tricky cases and silent letters

The basic rule is simple: an before a vowel sound, a before a consonant sound. The tricky cases are words where the spelling and the sound don’t match.

Silent H — always use an:
an hour, an honest answer, an honor, an heir
(The h is not pronounced, so the word starts with a vowel sound)

Words beginning with H that is pronounced — always use a:
a house, a happy person, a hotel, a history book

Words spelled with a vowel but starting with a consonant sound — use a:
a university (sounds like yoo-niversity)
a European country (sounds like yoo-ropean)
a one-way street (sounds like wun)

Abbreviated forms — use the sound of the letter name:
an MP, an MBA, an FBI agent (M, B, F all start with vowel sounds: em, bee, ef)
a URL, a UN report (U and Y both start with yoo — consonant sound)