Use Of The A And An Questions Medium
The use of "a" or "an" before words starting with a stressed syllable depends on the sound that follows the article. The general rule is to use "a" before words that begin with a consonant sound and "an" before words that begin with a vowel sound. However, it is important to note that the choice is based on the sound, not the actual letter. For example, even though "hour" starts with the letter "h," it is pronounced with a vowel sound, so we use "an hour." Similarly, words like "university" and "European" start with a vowel sound, so we use "a university" and "a European."