When should I use A or An before words starting with a schwa sound?

Use Of The A And An Questions Medium



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When should I use A or An before words starting with a schwa sound?

You should use "an" before words starting with a schwa sound. The schwa sound is the unstressed vowel sound typically represented by the letter "a" or "e" in English. When the schwa sound is the first sound in a word, it is considered a vowel sound, and therefore "an" should be used before it. This is because "an" is used before words that begin with a vowel sound, regardless of the actual letter used. For example, you would say "an apple" because the word "apple" starts with the schwa sound /ə/. Similarly, you would say "an elephant" because "elephant" starts with the schwa sound /ɪ/.