Use Of The A And An Questions Medium
Yes, you can use "a" or "an" before words starting with a silent "y." The choice between "a" and "an" depends on the sound that follows the article, not the letter itself. If the following sound is a vowel sound, you would use "an." If the following sound is a consonant sound, you would use "a." For example, you would say "an honest person" because the "h" in "honest" is silent and the following sound is a vowel sound. On the other hand, you would say "a yacht" because the "y" in "yacht" is pronounced as a consonant sound.