What is the difference between 'a' and 'an'?

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What is the difference between 'a' and 'an'?

The difference between 'a' and 'an' lies in their usage before nouns. 'A' is used before words that begin with a consonant sound, while 'an' is used before words that begin with a vowel sound. The choice between 'a' and 'an' depends on the sound of the following word, not necessarily the actual letter it starts with. For example, we say "a cat" because the word 'cat' starts with a consonant sound (/k/), and we say "an hour" because the word 'hour' starts with a vowel sound (/aŹŠ/). It is important to note that the choice of 'a' or 'an' is determined by the sound, not the spelling of the word.