An historic vs. A historic

[Nicotti]

People often believe that they should use the indefinite article an in front of words like historic, horrific, or hotel. Are they right or wrong? Should you say ‘an historic event’ or ‘a historic event’?

An is the form of the indefinite article that is used before a spoken vowel sound: it doesn’t matter how the written word in question is actually spelled. So, we say ‘an honour’, ‘an hour’, or ‘an heir’, for example, because the initial letter ‘h’ in all three words is not actually pronounced. By contrast we say ‘a hair’ or ‘a horse’ because, in these cases, the ‘h’ is pronounced.

Let’s go back to those three words that tend to cause problems: historic, horrific, and hotel. If hotel was pronounced without its initial letter ‘h’ (i.e. as if it were spelled ‘otel’), then it would be correct to use an in front of it. The same is true of historic and horrific. If horrific was pronounced ‘orrific’ and historic was pronounced ‘istoric’ then it would be appropriate to refer to ‘an istoric occasion’ or ‘an orrific accident’. In the 18th and 19th centuries, people often did pronounce these words in this way.

Today, though, these three words are generally pronounced with a spoken ‘h’ at the beginning and so it’s now more logical to refer to ‘a hotel’, ‘a historic event’, or ‘a horrific accident’.

[Meester Beeg]

The reason the James Foundation is in NY is because she lived there at the time of her death with her grandmother's brother, R.G. Dun (the Dun of Dun and Bradstreet) and his wife and her will decreed the James Foundation was created.

[SubLunar]

People often believe that they should use the indefinite article an in front of words like historic, horrific, or hotel. Are they right or wrong? Should you say ‘an historic event’ or ‘a historic event’?

An is the form of the indefinite article that is used before a spoken vowel sound: it doesn’t matter how the written word in question is actually spelled. So, we say ‘an honour’, ‘an hour’, or ‘an heir’, for example, because the initial letter ‘h’ in all three words is not actually pronounced. By contrast we say ‘a hair’ or ‘a horse’ because, in these cases, the ‘h’ is pronounced.

Let’s go back to those three words that tend to cause problems: historic, horrific, and hotel. If hotel was pronounced without its initial letter ‘h’ (i.e. as if it were spelled ‘otel’), then it would be correct to use an in front of it. The same is true of historic and horrific. If horrific was pronounced ‘orrific’ and historic was pronounced ‘istoric’ then it would be appropriate to refer to ‘an istoric occasion’ or ‘an orrific accident’. In the 18th and 19th centuries, people often did pronounce these words in this way.

Today, though, these three words are generally pronounced with a spoken ‘h’ at the beginning and so it’s now more logical to refer to ‘a hotel’, ‘a historic event’, or ‘a horrific accident’.

Fuck dictionaries.

[Nicotti]

People often believe that they should use the indefinite article an in front of words like historic, horrific, or hotel. Are they right or wrong? Should you say ‘an historic event’ or ‘a historic event’?

An is the form of the indefinite article that is used before a spoken vowel sound: it doesn’t matter how the written word in question is actually spelled. So, we say ‘an honour’, ‘an hour’, or ‘an heir’, for example, because the initial letter ‘h’ in all three words is not actually pronounced. By contrast we say ‘a hair’ or ‘a horse’ because, in these cases, the ‘h’ is pronounced.

Let’s go back to those three words that tend to cause problems: historic, horrific, and hotel. If hotel was pronounced without its initial letter ‘h’ (i.e. as if it were spelled ‘otel’), then it would be correct to use an in front of it. The same is true of historic and horrific. If horrific was pronounced ‘orrific’ and historic was pronounced ‘istoric’ then it would be appropriate to refer to ‘an istoric occasion’ or ‘an orrific accident’. In the 18th and 19th centuries, people often did pronounce these words in this way.

Today, though, these three words are generally pronounced with a spoken ‘h’ at the beginning and so it’s now more logical to refer to ‘a hotel’, ‘a historic event’, or ‘a horrific accident’.

Fuck dictionaries.

Your mom fucks dictionaries.

[BROUSER]

People often believe that they should use the indefinite article an in front of words like historic, horrific, or hotel. Are they right or wrong? Should you say ‘an historic event’ or ‘a historic event’?

An is the form of the indefinite article that is used before a spoken vowel sound: it doesn’t matter how the written word in question is actually spelled. So, we say ‘an honour’, ‘an hour’, or ‘an heir’, for example, because the initial letter ‘h’ in all three words is not actually pronounced. By contrast we say ‘a hair’ or ‘a horse’ because, in these cases, the ‘h’ is pronounced.

Let’s go back to those three words that tend to cause problems: historic, horrific, and hotel. If hotel was pronounced without its initial letter ‘h’ (i.e. as if it were spelled ‘otel’), then it would be correct to use an in front of it. The same is true of historic and horrific. If horrific was pronounced ‘orrific’ and historic was pronounced ‘istoric’ then it would be appropriate to refer to ‘an istoric occasion’ or ‘an orrific accident’. In the 18th and 19th centuries, people often did pronounce these words in this way.

Today, though, these three words are generally pronounced with a spoken ‘h’ at the beginning and so it’s now more logical to refer to ‘a hotel’, ‘a historic event’, or ‘a horrific accident’.

Fuck dictionaries.

Fuck a dropped H, Eliza Doolittle. Speak American.

[SubLunar]

I hate dropped H's just as much as I hate Americans. I just watched an Eliza Doolittle video and I have no idea what's going on.

Here's your options:

1. an Historic

2. A Historic

3. uhhhistoric

There's only one answer that doesn't make you a horrible person and it's not option 2 or 3.

[RedRook]

Our Corporate Standards team at work randomly emailed about this. Apparently the English majors want us to think about whether those viewing our words are going to pronounce a word with a vowel or a consonant sound. Our words are viewed across the entire country. If they speak differently, I don't know how I'm supposed to know.

Who in the hell drops h's? The only scenario I can think of is the Oliver Twist version of a London accent. "Don't 'it me govenor. I 'ave 'igh 'opes I can pay you tomorrow. If not, I'll bash my own 'ead into the wall." Does anyone talk like that without making fun of the English?

[SubLunar]

actually yeah crazydrummerdude pointed it out to me once. middle aged white people do this alot. It's subtle, not something that really sticks out but once he pointed it out I was noticing it all the time.

[ropingk]

The reason the James Foundation is in NY is because she lived there at the time of her death with her grandmother's brother, R.G. Dun (the Dun of Dun and Bradstreet) and his wife and her will decreed the James Foundation was created.

Verry true ID say that if Old Lucy could see how it is ran today she would NOT be pleased not even a little but she dead so they do what they want and fudge the books to make it look good to the Board

[BROUSER]

I was going for the Pygmalion (George Bernard Shaw) reference, not the singer. I didn't even know there was a singer. If you watched the same video I did, we may actually share a nightmare.