Use Of The A And An Questions Medium
Yes, you can use "a" or "an" before words starting with a silent "z." The choice between "a" and "an" depends on the sound that follows the article, not the silent letter at the beginning of the word. If the following sound is a vowel sound, you would use "an." For example, you would say "an hour" because the "h" in "hour" is silent and the following sound is a vowel sound. On the other hand, if the following sound is a consonant sound, you would use "a." For example, you would say "a zoo" because the "z" in "zoo" is silent, but the following sound is a consonant sound.