What is the rule for using A or An before words starting with a silent c?

Use Of The A And An Questions Medium



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What is the rule for using A or An before words starting with a silent c?

The rule for using "A" or "An" before words starting with a silent "c" is to use "An" before words that have a silent "c" followed by a vowel sound. This is because "An" is used before words that begin with a vowel sound, regardless of the actual letter. For example, we say "an hour" because the "h" in "hour" is silent and the word starts with a vowel sound. Similarly, we say "an honest person" because the "h" in "honest" is silent. However, if the silent "c" is followed by a consonant sound, we use "A" instead. For instance, we say "a cat" because the "c" in "cat" is silent, but it is followed by a consonant sound.