Do you say "An hotel"?

[Nighthogs]

Apparently this is correct, but the only time I've ever heard it used in this way is when it's said in a cockney accent (ie. "An 'otel"). When I say the word "hotel", the H isn't silent, so putting the word "an" before it just seems... Odd. I have an assuming south east accent, by the way.

Curious what everyone out there does!

YABU - I say "An hotel"
YANBU - I say "A hotel"

PS prize for most boring thread ever in 3...2...1...

I can't remember why, but it is an hotel, same as an historian.

Iirc it's h followed by a vowel is an, a h followed by a consonant it's a.

I say it ironically...implying that the hotel is vair vair naice , even if it is a Premier Inn :o

We stayed in ( long pause ) an hotel :o :o

but generally I'd say a hotel.

@Cheeseycheeseycheesecheese By that logic, it would also be "An horse" which just sounds SO weird saying out loud!

Might just be my complete ignorance, though...

The only time I remember hearing an before a word beginning with h is ‘an historic victory’ and it always jars. It sounds wrong.If cheesycheesy is correct we should be saying ‘an hero’ and ‘an hat’. Definitely sounds wrong in my opinion. I can’t think of any words which start h then a consonant??

@modgepodge "An historic" is arguable the only use that feels acceptable to me... Probably because I've heard it on the news a lot and it's become an ear worm?!

I've just checked. It's if the vowel is the stronger sound like in heir or hour. Whereas hotel is a stronger h, so it is hotel.
Knew I should have double checked 🤦‍♀️

Who says an hotel is correct?

I would say a hotel and a historian.

No, because, as you say, you sound the 'h'

I would use 'an' before a word that starts with a vowel

a hotel

This is something my dad was always very particular about. If I remember correctly, it's when the emphasis is on the second syllable in a word beginning with h that the h should be silent, so you say 'an' instead of 'a'. So "an 'oTEL" but "a HOSpital".

The rule is an if the next word starts with a vowel sound.

I don't think many people say 'otel' anymore, so saying 'a hotel' is now ok.

Isn’t it “an” for words that come from French where they don’t pronounce the ‘h’?

historic
hotel are the only ones I think of,

But it’s always ‘an’ for h words that don’t sound the h like honourable, hour etc...

That’s how I understand it anyway!

It is the sound it makes not the spelling.

A hotel

A horse

A ham sandwich

A hot drink

A house

If used 'An' in front of them it would be weird!

This is how I was taught to say it as a middle class child growing up in the SE in the 60s/70s 😬

Ps yes, I do say “an hotel”. I suppose I was taught to do so when at school...

[quote Nighthogs]@modgepodge "An historic" is arguable the only use that feels acceptable to me... Probably because I've heard it on the news a lot and it's become an ear worm?![/quote]
I know it is acceptable and correct cos BBC presenters say it when talking politics 😂 but it jars.

I just Googled it and it’s related to pronouncing the h or not. So an hour, an heir, but a hat and a hand. So am I saying historical wrong? I pronounce the h like in history? And I pronounce the h in hotel, so it should be a I think.

I would say a hotel but I know the correct way is an hotel, so if writing in school say, I'd have written it correctly.

@DaffyDaffy Interesting - What region are you from? I can imagine it being said in a Yorkshire accent for example, but definitely not my Hertfordshire one!

I can't even say an Hotel. It doesn't roll off the tongue easily at all and I'm Welsh so I'm used to speaking nonsense🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

@HeyGirlHeyBoy

I would say a hotel but I know the correct way is an hotel, so if writing in school say, I'd have written it correctly.

Surely it's only correct if you say "otel" which virtually no one does these days because it sounds very affected. The rule of pronouncing the h suggests it should be a not and

Yes it's pronounced an 'otel

Misshoney85 and Modgepodge have it right, between them.

If the h is silent, it's an. If not, there's a declining tendency in British English to use an where a word begins with h, has more than one syllable, and isn't stressed on the first syllable. So an hotel, an historic day, an hysteric. But never an hat, an haystack, an history. They are stressed on first / only syllable.

Since an hotel and an historic ... are the only ones we hear much, they're the only ones that sound even remotely right - even so, they sound wrong to most people I'd say. So probably won't last - meanwhile there's no right or wrong, just preference.

Where is this rule from op?

I just realized that in my local accent we do say "an otel" like "wanna book 'n'otel?"

But we do miss the h off everything, even ospital, ome, appy.

But I would always write a hotel and if I'm speaking in a professional context I do remember to add my h.