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.

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

Yes definitely

an

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

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

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.

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

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)

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.

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

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!

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.

Yes to what Breathe and Fink said

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...!

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

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

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!

An. An. Always an.

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

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.
???

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

"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.

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 ...'!

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

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.