Articles a / an
A1Use a and an with singular countable nouns when you talk about something for the first time.
Exercise 1 (Easy): Choose a / an
Choose the correct article: a or an.
Exercises:
1
I have ___ dog.
2
She has ___ umbrella.
3
It is ___ book.
4
He is ___ engineer.
5
I want ___ apple.
6
This is ___ car.
7
We need ___ hotel.
8
It's ___ orange.
9
He bought ___ new phone.
10
She is ___ artist.
Articles, a / an
Use before singular countable nouns. The choice depends on SOUND, not spelling.
🔵a, before consonant sounds
a+consonant sound
✅
a dog (/d/ sound)
✅
a book (/b/ sound)
✅
a university (/juː/ sound)
🟢an, before vowel sounds
an+vowel sound
✅
an apple (/æ/ sound)
✅
an egg (/e/ sound)
✅
an hour (silent h → /aʊ/ sound)
!
Quick reference, a vs an
| a + consonant sound | an + vowel sound |
|---|---|
| a dog | an apple |
| a book | an egg |
| a car | an hour |
| a house | an idea |
| a year | an umbrella |
!
Tricky sound cases
Use AN (silent h)
✅
an hour (h is silent)
✅
an honest man (h is silent)
Use A (vowel letter, /juː/ sound)
✅
a university (sounds like 'yu')
✅
a European (sounds like 'yu')
!
When to use a / an
✅
She's a doctor. (jobs)
✅
I have a cat. (singular countable nouns)
✅
It's a bird! (saying what something is)
Wrong
❌
a apple
❌
an book
❌
a hour
❌
an university
Correct
✅
an apple
✅
a book
✅
an hour
✅
a university
⚠ Key point: It's the SOUND that matters, not the letter, "an hour" not "a hour" because the H is silent. Say the word aloud and trust your ear.