Use Of The A And An Questions Long
We use the article "an" before words that begin with a vowel sound. The purpose of using "an" is to ensure smooth pronunciation and avoid awkward sound combinations.
Specifically, we use "an" before words that start with the vowel letters A, E, I, O, and U. However, it is important to note that it is the sound that matters, not the actual letter. For example, we say "an hour" because the word "hour" starts with a silent "h," which makes it sound like it begins with a vowel sound.
On the other hand, we use the article "a" before words that begin with a consonant sound. This includes words that start with consonant letters as well as words that start with vowel letters but have a consonant sound. For instance, we say "a university" because even though "university" starts with a vowel letter, it has a "y" sound at the beginning, which is a consonant sound.
In summary, we use the article "an" before words that begin with a vowel sound, regardless of whether they start with a vowel or consonant letter. This helps in maintaining smooth pronunciation and avoiding awkward sound combinations.