Grammar police I need your help please [title edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

[CareBear50]

First world problem I know, but this conundrum is driving me slightly batty. Is it "a Hawaiian" pizza or "an Hawaiian pizza"??

I understand that if a noun or adjective starts with the letter h , if the h is silent eg heirloom, you would say an heirloom. However, if it's a hard h sound then you would say eg a hairline fracture.

However a Hawaiian pizza is harder to say than an Hawaiian pizza....so which is correct please??

It's "a Hawaiian pizza" as it's got a hard H.

However, when I say it out loud I say "an 'awaiia" and omit the H all together. I'm not even French!

anyone remember prince monolulu, the famous feathered racing tipster, you might have seen him in pathe newsreels, and his famous cry of,
i've got an orse! who wants an orse!

as to the pizza, i think i've understood the distinction now; it depends on whether the cheese used is hard or soft. aha, it's quite easy now i see it.

I’m from Hull.

It’s ‘An ’awaiian’, ‘An ‘otel’, ‘An ‘ospital’...

Well, it is when I’m on the phone to my mum, anyway

@Pinkarsedfly

Richard the Third was from the house of York. Are tha' trying to tell me 'e stood there after Bosworth and yelled, "An 'orse! An 'orse! mi kingdom for an 'orse!"?

I used to live in Hull. Watching tourists trying to get their head round the correct way to pronounce Whitefriargate was always fun.

Undoubtedly, TheSandman.

Yes, one could always tell an incomer by their pronunciation of ‘Whitefriargate’.

‘Hessle’ was another giveaway.

What a disgrace that people dont know a simple grammar rule

@12alexdgr8 that was me and your post had me giggling.
@12alexdgr8 oh yes. Innit

www.grammar.com/a-vs-an-when-to-use/

Here you go, OP. Enjoy.

@peperethecat

Fantastic thankyou. I loved reading that

I'm still wondering then if it is an Hawaiian pizza as the emphasis is on the haWAIIan part of the word?! Not unlike an hisTORic occasion

Thankyou

Actually I think both are possible in this case!

I learnt English as a foreign language, and went on to do a degree in linguistics.

We were taught that the only the words "hour" and "heir" go with "an". So, an hour, an heir but a house or a horse. That's because the h in the first two words is silent.

We were taught that the only the words "hour" and "heir" go with "an". So, an hour, an heir but a house or a horse. That's because the h in the first two words is silent.

That's probably because there's no point teaching people learning English as a foreign language obscure rules that even most native speakers don't know or observe.

I'm still wondering then if it is an Hawaiian pizza as the emphasis is on the haWAIIan part of the word?! Not unlike an hisTORic occasion

I believe this is technically correct, yes. However, I would probably still say "a" rather than "an" because I think "an" sounds a bit poncey and very few people actually speak this way! Since I'm not a TV journo I can't imagine ever needing to use the phrase "an historic day".

We were taught that the only the words "hour" and "heir" go with "an".

(And actually, thinking about it, there are plenty of other examples of words beginning with the silent H which indisputably use "an". An "honour", for example.)

We were taught that the only the words "hour" and "heir" go with "an". So, an hour, an heir but a house or a horse. That's because the h in the first two words is silent.

But only if your talk with what used to be called, in my youth, an RP, RADA BBC-type, 'proper' speaking voice.

As Pinkarsedfly pointed out not everyone who speaks English talks like that.

So, @araiwa 's

"What a disgrace that people dont know a simple grammar rule"

('dont?)

Is a bit condescending in that, for many people, what they write and what they say are two different things. 'A Horse', when written, 'An' orse' when spoken. Of course there is going to be confusion.

"What a disgrace that people dont know a simple grammar rule"
You do realise that there is no governing body that draws up grammar rules? They are based on use and change over time and are not (as this thread proves!) universally agreed upon.

A horse and an 'orse are both correct. There is no confusion. Vowel sounds need an.

An M&S sandwich is also correct

If in doubt - use a filler word: A delicious Hawaiian pizza A luxury hotel

Filler words are great for testing some grammar rules (especially if it’s one word or two - ‘an awful lot’) but it doesn’t work in this case as the filler word would affect the a/an:

An enormous Hawaiian pizza vs a massive Hawaiian pizza

Thankyou

...is two words. (Sorry; it's one of my pet hates, along with "thank-you".)

With you on that one @Unacorda though I'll trump you with "alright".

I keep seeing 'no one' spelled 'noone'.

What's that about??

I cringe whenever I read "non" instead of "none" ("there were non of them") or "wonder" instead of "wander" ("she wondered down the road") or "weary" instead of "wary" ("she was weary of the consequences"). Do people not realise that English isn't always spelt as it sounds?

Not to mention "alot", "abit", "inbetween", etc.