Lesson 158--Interesting English

 

 

As English teachers we often try to make something slightly complicated much easier for students to understand.  This is not always a good thing.  My students often quote their teacher and tell me that a comes before countable nouns that start with a consonant and an before countable nouns that start with a vowel.

This sounds like a good rule, but isn't.  It isn't starting with a vowel, but starting with a vowel sound.  The following are some examples which prove this.

a university

a uniform

Despite starting with a vowel, the starting sound is a consonant sound.

an hour

an honour

an MBA

an NBA player

an FBI agent

Despite starting with a consonant, the starting sound in a vowel sound.