Discussion » Questions » Language » Which is correct?: 'A' historical... or 'An' historical...Which sounds better?
Element 99

Which is correct?: 'A' historical... or 'An' historical...Which sounds better?

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Posted - November 21, 2017
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Responses


  • I say "a historical". "An historical" is more common in Britain. Though the usual rule is that "an" is used before a vowel, /h/ is so mild a consonant that it might as well be a vowel (and in some dialects it isn't pronounced at all). But "an historical" sounds weird to me in my own dialect. 
      November 21, 2017 8:28 AM MST
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  • 44603
    Logically, then, since the English language is British, should they both be correct.
      November 21, 2017 8:56 AM MST
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  • Actually the Anglo-Saxons did.  They were Germans, the Britons Celtic.  I'm of German descent, so my authority wins.
      November 21, 2017 11:10 AM MST
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  • A historical.  It's the correct and it sounds much better.
    An is for vowel sounds.
     
    A historical account of a union between an honourable Hawaiian and  an element numbered 99.
      November 21, 2017 8:31 AM MST
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  • 44603
    LOL
      November 21, 2017 8:54 AM MST
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  • Even Cambridge says I am correct.
    https://dictionary.cambridge.org/grammar/british-grammar/determiners/a-an-and-the
      November 21, 2017 11:16 AM MST
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  • 7280
    https://writingexplained.org/a-vs-an-difference This post was edited by tom jackson at November 21, 2017 12:35 PM MST
      November 21, 2017 9:51 AM MST
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  • 44603
    It wouldn't upload. This post was edited by Element 99 at November 22, 2017 11:55 AM MST
      November 21, 2017 10:14 AM MST
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  • 7280
    It did when I checked it after I posted it; but it didn't when I tried it again after reading your response.

    Here's another, but it's not as succinct as the first.

    https://writingexplained.org/a-vs-an-difference

      November 21, 2017 12:34 PM MST
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  • 7280
    Interesting question.

    Upon reflection, while I use the rule, it turns out I do have a preference---apparently based on the sounds of the sentence I am speaking.

    A historical meeting......(used as a subject)

    (We attended).......an historical meeting. (used as an object)
      November 21, 2017 9:54 AM MST
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  • 46117
    uh unh

    No.

    'An' always sounds so cool.  I vote cool wins.  I sound like I am proficient enough in the language to even know to USE AN before a silent "h".  But Historical is semi-silent.  There will be a war over this.  Some day.

    I never knew anyone to follow the subject/object rule you gave.  I hope that is not expected of me.

    I can do whom correctly.  I can do either/or and neither/nor

    but when you get all convoluted like this sound issue regarding what amounts to a teeny little article, i.e., 'a/an', well, that just gets so ding-danged esocterical that I just think I will fool most of the population and dispense with the true linguists like yourself.

    I live with a linguist and I'll just bet he'd never even notice if I made this faux pas.   I think that is also because I make so many huge boners of the vernacular, that he has dismissed me as a moron long ago.

    (sorry, it's the brownie)
      November 21, 2017 11:24 AM MST
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  • 7280
    That wasn't a rule, it is just a preference I discovered I had when the question was asked.

    Here's the rule: 

    A historic is more common in both American and British English, but both usages are sufficiently common to be considered correct.

    A well known grammar rule says that we should use an before vowel sounds; for example, an accident, an item, an hour. We use a otherwise: a book, a hotel, a university.

    Notice that we say an hour, not a hour. The choice of a or an is based upon the sound of the word, not the spelling. Hour sounds as if it starts with a vowel sound (ow); hence, we use an.

    Following this rule, we would say a historic, not an historic because (for most speakers) historic doesn't start with a vowel sound.

    Words of three or more syllables that start with h are treated differently by some speakers, though. (This may be because of the tendency of some regional accents to drop initial Hs.)

     https://www.betterwritingskills.com/tip-w005.html
      November 21, 2017 12:24 PM MST
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  • 46117
    Tom.   I said it before and I say it again.  (AH GAIN).   I agree with every word you so succinctly chose, save for the an historic vs. a historic.

    An historic just sounds so cool.  Come on.  Err on the side of:  "Notice that we say an hour, not a hour. The choice of a or an is based upon the sound of the word, not the spelling."  Remember that part of your great argument?  Err on the side of that great argument.

      November 21, 2017 1:46 PM MST
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  • 44603
    THANK YOU...ASKER'S PICK.
      November 21, 2017 1:40 PM MST
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  • 46117
    You didn't give me asker's
    you gave Tom asker's.

    Thank Tom.
      November 21, 2017 1:42 PM MST
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  • 44603
    Oops...changed it. Sorry Tom
      November 21, 2017 3:55 PM MST
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  • 46117
    AN


    all the way with AN
      November 21, 2017 11:18 AM MST
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  • 44603
    MWAH.
      November 21, 2017 1:41 PM MST
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  • 16763
    An hysterical
      November 21, 2017 11:30 PM MST
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  • 44603
    You Aussies don't pronounce Hs anyway. It sounds better.
      November 22, 2017 11:58 AM MST
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