An articles article: ‘A’ versus ‘an’

Knowing whether to use the articles a or an may seem like a no-brainer, but their usage has been known to tax even the brightest brains.

Here are the basics:

Use a before a word beginning with a sounded consonant:

Use an before a word beginning with a vowel sound:

Use an before a word beginning with an unsounded consonant:

But what about those words in which you can hear the “h” sound, such as historic or hotel? Those words have an “aspirate h,” and the rule is this:

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