Use Of The A And An Questions Medium
When deciding whether to use "a" or "an" before words starting with a silent "k," it is important to consider the sound that follows the "k." The general rule is to use "an" before words that begin with a silent "k" if the following sound is a vowel sound. This is because "an" is used before words that start with vowel sounds, regardless of the actual letter.
For example, we say "an hour" because the "h" in "hour" is silent, and the following sound is a vowel sound (/aŹ/). Similarly, we say "an honest person" because the "h" in "honest" is silent, and the following sound is also a vowel sound (/É/).
On the other hand, if the following sound after the silent "k" is a consonant sound, we use "a" instead. For instance, we say "a knight" because the "k" in "knight" is silent, but the following sound is a consonant sound (/n/).
In summary, when deciding whether to use "a" or "an" before words starting with a silent "k," consider the sound that follows the "k" and use "an" if it is a vowel sound, and "a" if it is a consonant sound.