Grammar Skillz --> When to use "an" in front of U?

[SuperSaiyan3]

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When do you not use "an" in front of "u?"

Shouldn't it always be "an?" U is a vowel after all...

for example, I never understood why University has to be capitalized and you can't use an University. It has to be a University....

There's so many other examples. And what's the deal with Y?

I feel like I'll spend my entire WS contemplating this. Can somebody help me by pointing out arbitrary "an"s and "a"s that I should know for U & Y?


English is just weird.
So is Shakespeare.

 

[rocuronium]

The distinction between 'an' and 'a' is made depending on how the beginning of the word sounds, not by what the first letter is.

For example, for the word umbrella it would be an umbrella because the beginning of the word has a vowel sound.

For words that start with the "y" sound, a is used. Because words like University start with a "y" sound, a is used as well.

 

[SuperSaiyan3]

No way. I did NOT know that.

Thanks a lot, that clarifies it very well.

But can others please point out other words that might consist of an "a" usage instead of an "an" in front of a vowel?

 

[ksmi117]

No way. I did NOT know that.

Thanks a lot, that clarifies it very well.

But can others please point out other words that might consist of an "a" usage instead of an "an" in front of a vowel?

Kinda the opposite of what you are asking, but it drives home the point.

"a home" vs. "an honest opinion"

"Home" sounds like it starts with an "h" while "honest" sounds like it starts with an "o."

 

[RogueUnicorn]

as a relatively unrelated note, it bugs the frikken hell out of me when newscasters say "an historic event"

 

[rocuronium]

as a relatively unrelated note, it bugs the frikken hell out of me when newscasters say "an historic event"

Agreed. For some reason the a/an debate for that phrase seems particularly heated.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Agreed. For some reason the a/an debate for that phrase seems particularly heated.

i don't understand how there can be debate - it's a history major. it's a historic event. just because you say it wrong with a silent h doesn't give you the right to make it an historic event! revisionists i say!! revisionists!!!

 

[the freest man]

as a relatively unrelated note, it bugs the frikken hell out of me when newscasters say "an historic event"

What an idear.

 

[crazybob]

let's see

• a unicorn
• an umbrella
• an unncessary ...
• an upper ...
• an usher
• a ubiqunone
• an ugh
• an uhh
• an ulcer

that's all i can think of right now

 

[sleepy425]

actually, what really drives me crazy is when people screw up a/an with abbreviations. The most common example on SDN is "a MD." It's "an MD" because the sound is emmmmmdeeeeeeee, so it starts with an e sound and you should use an. just because it's an M, not an H, doesn't make it any different. grrrrr

 

[ksmi117]

actually, what really drives me crazy is when people screw up a/an with abbreviations. The most common example on SDN is "a MD." It's "an MD" because the sound is emmmmmdeeeeeeee, so it starts with an e sound and you should use an. just because it's an M, not an H, doesn't make it any different. grrrrr

 

[SuperSaiyan3]

thanks for the clarifications. learned so much about this language I'm considering writing a book