Use of 'a' instead of 'an' before a vowel sound

[WhenDovesFly]

I'm seeing this more and more, not just here on MN but on social media in general.

For example, someone writing a apple, or a elephant. Unless in their head they're sounding the 'a' as you would when reciting the alphabet, then it doesn't even sound right, as well as being grammatically incorrect.

It makes me want to scream when I notice it.

Haha you're not alone. This is a bug bear of mine too.

Is this maybe a second or third language thing? In the same way French people must notice every misplaced la or le?

That's possible I suppose. I have a friend who does it. His first language is English but he's dyslexic, so that's another possible reason.

In a different vein, the construction 'an otel' instead of 'a hotel' drives me crazy when I hear it. Mainly by older newsreaders here in Ireland. I assume they were formally taught to do this.

I'm in UK and late 50s and remember being taught 'an otel', so yes it was formally taught. I don't tend to use it now and prefer to say a hotel.

My (southern, if that makes any difference) Nan says "an otel" and "an ospital".

When I was younger, we were all taught to say and write 'an hotel' . I always thought it sounded silly , am pleased most now say 'a hotel' .

But that's a correct (and very formal) standard variation. Very RP.
It's passing out of usage but it's a completely different thing to not using the correct article.

similarly, 'an historic' is correct but jarring.

An hotel is actually correct, but generally not used. I don't think an hospital is correct but I was taught 'h' is a letter you use an with, in some cases, with the vowels.

I'm sure in speech people writing a apple would actual say an apple? Sounds odd otherwise.

An historic event, sounds right to me. 😀

I think that's particularly jarring from Irish people because that's not how Irish people of any region I know would naturally speak. Like the way people get a job at RTE and then seemingly have to call it "Arrr Tee Ee" instead of "Oar Tee Eee" like they would have done their whole lives up to that point.

It sounds right to me too but an hotel or an hospital don't.

I say an apple, an egg etc... but I say a unicorn because an unicorn doesn't seem right. Is it right? 🤔

Yes, because the 'u' makes a YOO sound which is a consonant sound. Whereas the 'a' and 'e' make vowel sounds. Does that make sense? Hard to explain

Sorry, I mean that you are right!

I would say that too because it starts with a 'y' sound like youth rather than a(n) 'u" sound like umbrella.

I say “a unicorn too”. An unicorn doesn’t sound right. And auto correct seems to agree with us, it kept changing ‘an’ to ‘a’ in the second sentence.

University begins (phonetically) with the semi-vowel /j/ As does unicorn. Hence "a university" but "an uncle" which begins with a vowel.

Hotel, herb, honour, honest, heir, hour and variations thereof are the words which etymologically came from French where the "h" isn't pronounced. Over the centuries, as language changes, the first two have taken on an initial /h/ whereas the others haven't.

The Queen would have said "an hotel" with a silent "h". Charles too probably. William definitely not.

University begins (phonetically) with the semi-vowel /j/ As does unicorn. Hence "a university" but "an uncle" which begins with a vowel.
Hotel, herb, honour, honest, heir, hour and variations thereof are the words which etymologically came from French where the "h" isn't pronounced.

I agree with @ScentOfAMemory .

hôtel, herbe, honneur, honnête, héritier, heure.

Well if you go to parts of Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire you will still hear people say "a egg"! There is a tiny throat sound involved between "a" and "egg"...maybe a linguist could identify?

I'm iDerbyshire and I don't think I've ever heard that although there are other oddities like 'pee-uhs' for peas. I think those things are dying out now.

A unicorn is correct (yoo sound not uh) as is an hotel and an historic (silent h so the o takes over). At least, that's how I was taught. It's about the pronunciation not the presence of the vowel.

A glottal stop?

Ask people to say “an otel” to say the sentence ”Are you staying in the same hotel?” I bet they don’t say “otel” then!