A or AN?

[Kindersurprise]

A friend asked me this today. What is the rule with A and AN?

An before a vowel, is that right? An apple, an orange, an idiot.

What about before H?

It happened an hour ago.

I have a horse.

if it is a silent h it is an.

an heirloom.

if it is a spoken 'h' it is a.

a hairbrush.

apart from an hotel!

depends on whether the h is silent. Certain words of French origin ( like hotel) should be preceded by 'an' - 'an hotel' is correct, 'a hotel' is not.

Because, does anyone actually say 'an hotel'? I dont!

its not an hotel. just try saying it outloud.

also we used an in front of LVAD

No - I don't say it, but I know it's correct.

Sounds stupid to me. A bit like listening to Americans who insist on talking about 'erbs.

i detest 'Erbs. i always rant at the tv when i hear that.

Thanks.

After reading your replies, I remembered learning that in school many years ago.

what about 'historic'? shouldn't one say ' an historic moment'?

My friend has just asked,

When Brits drop the H it comes out as 'erbal, but when Americans do it the sound comes out as Urbal.

I don't put "an" before a sounded "h" (hospital, herb, hotel, historic). I'm afraid that, for me, "an hotel" sounds affected.

But the h in hôtel is silent in its original language, and almost so in English if you use it after an, so the basic rule remains.

Not when I say it, it isn't. The s in Paris is silent in the original language, too, but you won't catch me saying Par-ee unless I'm speaking French.

Mmmm.. I've been puzzled by "an hotel" too. I agree with MsHighwater.

I still think that the use of an derives originally from the pronunciation of hôtel. The posh would use a rather more French pronunciation and the somewhat less posh would either never consider hôtels or pronounce the initial letter. Presumably the really unposh dropped their aitches anyway and were totally unconcerned about this in any case. I suspect in modern times both a and an are used and either is acceptable. (I am still having problems with punctuation on my machine, sorry.)