Mistake: A vs An

Use an before vowel sounds.

Examples

• an apple, a banana
• an hour, a university

Key rules

• Use a before a consonant sound and an before a vowel sound
• The decision depends on sound, not spelling: an hour, a university
• Use an before words starting with a silent h

Common mistakes

• an university → a university
• a hour → an hour

Use cases

• Describing things and people
• Writing about jobs
• Everyday speech