Use Of The A And An Questions Medium
You should use "an" before words starting with a silent "i." The use of "an" is determined by the sound of the following word, not the actual letter it starts with. When the following word begins with a vowel sound, such as in "honest" or "hour," you should use "an" instead of "a." This is because the purpose of using "a" or "an" is to ensure smooth pronunciation and avoid awkward sound combinations.