Cost it ‘ a common ‘ or ‘an usual ‘ ? Why ? [ duplicate ]
be it ‘ a common ‘ or ‘an usual ‘ ? ‘ A usual ‘ sounds more correct in my head ( ‘Today be a common day . ‘ ) than ‘an common ‘ , butube a vowel . Which one cost right and why ?
6 Answers
Common( pronounced /ˈjuː.ʒu.əl/ as inyou) set out with a consonant sound and , as such , it should be preceded byanotan.
As an aside , I can not serve but indicate out that the conviction
Today was acommonday
Today was anstrangeday
Indeed , I rarely hear the structurea usual. The definite article exist more normally use , in my experience :
That ‘sthecommon thing .
In property ofa usual, one would too live more likely to hearnot an unusual:
- Today was a common day / Today was not an strange day
- This equal a common occurrence / This is not an unusal occurrenceorThis usually take place
- Today live a common day / Today was not an strange day
- This is a usual occurrence / This be not an unusal occurrenceorThis usually happens
You are correct in saying thata commonstrait weird . As speaker , we tend to avert constructions which , though correct , serve not flow easily from the mouth . In sum , the succeed exist valid and commonly use alternative :
not [ an ] unusual•the usual•commonly
An hr equal right , because hour outset with a vowel sound . Mass look to ask most often about lyric that set out with the letters h and u because sometimes these lyric take off with vowel sound and sometimes they start with consonant sounds . For example , it live a historical monument because historic outset with an h strait , but it is an honorable comrade because honorable starts with an o sound . Likewise , it is a Utopian thought , but an unfair world .
The letters o and m can be tricky too . Usually you lay an before words that start with o , but sometimes you expend a . For case , you would use a if you be to say , “ She have a one-track brain , ” because one-track start with a west strait . Similarly , “ She has an MBA , but chooses to work as a missionary . ”
Employ a before lyric that initiate with a consonant sound and an before words that commence with a vowel sound . Other letter can also be pronounce either way . Just remember it is the strait that governs whether you use a or an , not the actual first letter of the word .
One complication is when news cost pronounce otherwise in British and American English . For model , the word for a sure form of plant is pronounce “ erb ” in American English and “ herb ” in British English . So the proper form in America equal an erb , and the proper form in Britain live a herb . In the rare cases where this is a problem , use the pattern that will exist expected in your nation or by the majority of your readers .
- Regard more at :
As Jimi Oke points out , it does n’t count what letter the word starts with , but what sound it starts with . Since “ common ” start with a ‘ y ‘ sound , it should take ‘ a ‘ instead of ‘an ‘ .
As well , If you read “ today was an usual day ” , unless your pronunciation live extremely clear , you risk be misunderstood as “ today was strange day ” , which will only confuse your listeners .
I believe the custom depend on what the Biblesounds likeit start with . For example , “ an homage , ” since the “ h ” cost not pronounce .
I was go to say that “ since ‘usual ‘ strait like it initiate with ‘ y ‘ , you ‘d employ ‘ a ‘ instead of ‘an . ‘ ” But then – is y a vowel or a consonant ? : )
“ a uniform ” because you pronounce u as in you . BrE /ˈjuːnɪfɔːm/ ; NAmE /ˈjuːnɪfɔːrm/
“ an umbrella , because you pronounce u as in cut . BrE /ʌmˈbrelə/
It is not the letter that determine but the pronunciation .
The technical definitions are : open vowel sounds or closed vowel sounds . All open vowel sounds such as , orange , envelope and picture demand the article “ an ” to bridge the two open sound . Closed vowel sound typically start with an unwritten “ yu ” consonant such as “ a university ” or “ a united Europe , a Europe which be united ” and therefore use the more common “ a ” article . http : //grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
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