Do you say "an" historical figure?

[ofhorse]

Do you say "a" historical figure or "an" historical figure?

I think I would say "an" ... but writing it down here and just musing which is correct.

Thanks.

[BdumBdummer]

I say "an". I am a pedant. Not sure that's a reason to say "an" but it is a reason to write it.

[AndShesGone]

Yes definitely

[FilledSoda]

an

[fruityb]

Words beginning with H should be an. Means those of us in Yorkshire end up saying "a norse" instead of "an horse" lol.

[ReggaeShark]

I would say "a" (but write "an"). I know it's incorrect but I think it's common usage now.

[Fink]

It's a debated point, there isn't one 'correct' answer even amongst linguists. Personally I use an for unaspirated h words (an honourable woman) but a for aspirated (a historical figure, a hotel). I tend to see an historical as quite affected, used by the sort of people who don't pronounce the h in hotel, Hyacinth Bucket types. But I'm aware that some people are taught that it's correct and just go along with it.

[SuburbanRhonda]

It may be in common usage but "a" sounds wrong to me whereas "an" sounds right.

[AndShesGone]

It's not all words beginning with 'h'. You can say 'there's a horse in the field'.

It's not 'there's an horse in the field' is it ? (Sounds bloody weird to me)

[YokoUhOh]

I think we inherited these words from French. The French would say 'un hotel' with a silent 'h', which is why some of us say 'an hotel' (I dont!).

As with most things, both are probably correct.

[YokoUhOh]

Historical = un histoire (a story); l'histoire (history).

[FlopsyisaRabbit]

Personally, I think an is fine if the H is not heard - e.g honour - but if it is, then I use a (a horse etc). No doubt there is probably a proper way, but I generally don't drop my H's when I speak, so an feels a mouthful!

[BreatheDeep]

I thought you use 'an' where the h isn't pronounced so it sounds like the word starts with a vowel. And you use 'a' when the h is pronounced.

A hotel, a horse, a house, a hill, a historical figure
An honour, an hour.

[GiddyOnZackHunt]

Yes to what Breathe and Fink said

[ofhorse]

Really interesting- thanks for all your responses. When I said it in my head, "an" just sounded right, but I wasn't sure when I saw it written down, which started me on my muse...!

[museumum]

I would use a but I say historic like horse with a clear h. I would say an honour and not pronounce the h.

[museumum]

I think I say a HIStoric palace
I've heard others say an isTORIC palace
But I'm Scottish so what do I know about "proper" pronounciation

[pklme]

My DM is first cousin to Hyacinth Bucket, and went through a phase of 'an 'ospital' an 'otel'. It doesn't work with words without a French root, like 'horse', and risks sounding like you just drop your aitches, so it didn't last long!

[quirkychicken]

An. An. Always an.

[Yamadori]

'An 'istorical figure' but I drop my aitches anyway.

[wishparry]

Well I'm a bit miffed...I always thought you said an for something that precedes a vowel like:an elephant,an Apple,an idiot,an octopus etc etc.
I thought you said a for something that precedes a constanant.like:a fish,a boat,a house,a potatoe,a kerbstone etc etc.
???

[SailingThroughTime]

I work it through pronunciation rather than spelling and I'm not French.

[chipmonkey]

"An historical" to me sounds correct but twattish. I'm Irish though so have a strained related with the letter "h" at the best of times.

[stonecircle]

I would say and write 'an historic...'. In fact I had to write just that the other day and was irritated to see outlook didn't like it and put a red line underneath. It did make me stop and think, but no way was I going to put 'a historic ...'!

[Curious541]

I think it's both...

I would say/write 'half an hour' not 'half a hour'

But then I'd say/write 'buy a house' not 'buy an house'

I think it depends on how you're pronouncing it

[DodoRevival]

It is wishparry, but it's the sound rather than what's written.

Aspirated Hs (that's silent Hs) where common enough in certain dialects (traditional of the higher classes as it's a French thing the silent H). So hotel would be said 'otel giving a vowel sound at the start so 'an hotel' would be needed.

Now most people say the h so 'a hotel' is fine.

It's still an hour though, because hour has a vowel sound at its start.