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 say a hotel but an historic victory.

An 'Otel 🤔😂

in Scotland it's just a Hotel 😏

One has a honours degree from an university

If the vowel sounds like a consonant like in unicycle or university (Y) you say a unicycle, whereas you'd say an umbrella. If the consonant sounds like a vowel then you say an. So if your consonant sounds like a vowel, you use an an.

I don't enjoy dropped Hs - I especially hate the way Americans call herbs 'erbs'. It is correct though.

@jcyclops

Exactly! Perfect example.

I'm not sure which I do. It probably depends on the context, e.g. mates down the pub, or a formal presentation at work. Or possibly depending on what I am reading - I tend to go a bit more archaic and formal in my speech if I've been reading Austen or similar, as people have pointed out to me in the past.

Neither sounds wrong to me, whether a hotel or an hotel, as long as the hotel is either pronounced or not accordingly. An hotel with a voiced H would sound wrong.

I believe an H is considered a vowel back in the day so that's why sis an hotel an hour. An honour

Ooh this used to be my favourite gripe.
The newsreaders on the BBC always do it. I especially remember Sue Lawley for some reason.
I went off on one at work once when people kept saying it and had to Google it, only to find it's acceptable to use both 'an hotel' or 'a hotel' when speaking
I was similarly caught out with "James's" versus "James' ":-(
They don't ask me about grammar much anymore

No.

Is this like the 'serviette' thread?

an only goes in front of a vowel

I would definitely write an hotel but say a hotel when speaking.

Peistoe!!!!
Faints..

Is this how the Novotel brand came about?

I say an hotel, I was taught to at school and have done since. It sounds awkward to me when people say a hotel. It flows the same as when you say 'an hour'.

Only if I drop the h.

@nitsandwormsdodger

I believe an H is considered a vowel back in the day so that's why sis an hotel an hour. An honour

An horrible idea

I have AN honours degree, not a honours degree.

Pp who gave unicorn as an example, it starts with a letter that is a vowel but the sound is y so a consonant sound, hence a unicorn rather than an unicorn.

It's all about the sound folks, not the letter.

@NoIDontWatchLoveIsland

ArcheryAnnie

That's my parents to a tee.

< lower middle-class fist-bump >

I agree that "An historian" sounds miles better than "An hotel"... Even if it makes me feel like a BBC politics wannabe. I'm not actually sure what I say as that phrase doesn't come up much in daily conversation. I just know that "An hotel" sounds absolutely bloody ridiculous in my bog standard South East accent!

I say hotel, but I’m wrong.