A hotel or an hotel?

[Melonrunner]

My dd has been told at school to use 'a' if the next sound is a consonant or 'an' if the next sound is a vowel, with the exception of an hotel. I have never heard of this before but Google suggests this is a thing! It sounds awful when I say am hotel. Who is right me or the teaching assistant?

[ChorizoGnocchiPinotGrigio]

Bit you pronounce "h" so it has to be an "a"!

[RedWineLush]

Well strangely, my mother who is in her sixties and vair well spoken, says 'an 'otel' which is apparently correct pronunciation. I don't say it though!

[3luckystars]

A

[Redbindippers101]

It's A Notel.

[WhizzPopper]

I'd only use an if I was being lazy and said "an 'otel" normally it's a hotel though. I was taught a for a vowel and an for a consonant.

[DropYourSword]

I'm sure the correct way is 'an' for hotel. But I'd always actually say 'a'.

[MariaSklodowska]

The teaching assistant has maybe read 'Noblesse Oblige' which discusses class markers in speech, and divides English speakers into 'U' and 'non U'. Or she could just be quite posh.

Saying 'an hotel' with a silent H is a marker of upper class speech I believe.

It is not that important, say what you like, a hotel or an (h)otel. the latter does sound a bit silly doesn't it?

[WhizzPopper]

Oops sorry other way round!

[FoxesOnSocks]

Depends how you say hotel really. I use 'a' because I pronounced hotel with an obvious huh

[Scarydinosaurs]

Is this because it's a French word that shouldn't have the h pronounced? A bit like how Americans say 'erbs for herbs?

For what it's worth, I say a hotel.

[Melonrunner]

An 'otel sounds common to me!

[FoxesOnSocks]

It's the sound rather than the actual letter that determines whether 'a' or 'an' is used.

[WellErrr]

'An hotel' with the 'h' silent is the correct pronunciation.

[DianaMitford]

It is definitely "an"

[Floppityflop]

An hotel. In French there are aspirated and non-aspirated h sounds. We nearly always aspirated even if the equivalent word in French would not be. Hotel is a French word and I assume that is why this "rule" applies. Oddly doesn't seem to apply to hostel.

[Melonrunner]

Yes foxes she has been taught it's the sound not the letter, with the exception of hotel which suggests the teaching assistant is pronouncing the 'h' I'm hotel.

[MariaSklodowska]

wellErr there is no 'correct' or 'incorrect' here. I mean there is no national academy pronouncing what is right and what is wrong is there?

therefore people say what they like....

[BeautifulMaudOHara]

Both are correct IMO

[WellErrr]

wellErr there is no 'correct' or 'incorrect' here

There really is.

[MariaSklodowska]

" There really is."

no there really isn't .

If you think there is, refer us to the academy/organisation/government department that makes rules on language.

Oh yes there isn't one......

[allegretto]

Both are correct. An is a bit old fashioned imo.

[CarlGrimesMissingEye]

I was always tight to say 'an' before H words.

[DropYourSword]

What do you mean Maria? There are definitely correct and incorrect ways in language. People then are free to choose what they do.

[BeautyQueenFromMars]

It's 'an' if you don't stress the 'h', 'a' if you do stress the 'h'.

An 'otel
A Hotel

[MariaSklodowska]

it depends on the H word doesnt it? whether or not it is aspirated.

Therefore it would be 'an honest man' but as we do say hotel with an aspirated H these days, an otel does sound a bit wanky tbh.