# "A" or "An" before "h" words **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 16, 2001, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641 "2001-08-16T21:45:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ShouldBeWorking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@ShouldBeWorking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShouldBeWorking)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/1 "2001-08-16T21:45:35Z")
Recently, a news anchor person started a sentence with “An historical event occurred today…” I was taught that this should be “A historic event” because “h” is a consonant, and in this case, not silent. (Conversely, you should use “an” before a word starting with a vowel sound.) Since then, I’ve heard many other people (mostly on TV/radio) using this form. Which is correct? ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/2 "2001-08-16T21:49:42Z")
Well, this is a bit vague, however, my understanding is that “hard” H’s get A and “soft” H’s get AN. Eg: I went into a hardwear store. vs. It was an honest mistake. Thats how I learned the rule, but others may beg to differ. ---
**Author:** ![bizerta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@bizerta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizerta)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/3 "2001-08-16T21:50:20Z")
I saw a legal notice that said “having an usual place of business…”. It was “an” before a vowel, but it sure sounded funny. ---
**Author:** ![Beltane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@Beltane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beltane)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/4 "2001-08-16T21:53:22Z")
As I understand it “an” is used before historical in england. I seem to remember a rant about how awfull “a historical” sounds on a message board (the poster was British) It was pointed out, however, that the queen mum has been know to say “a historical” I believe the rational for “an historical” is that the h is “soft” Possibly Americaninzed English speakers pronound the “h” on historical more prominantly? ---
**Author:** ![Falafel\_Waffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@Falafel\_Waffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falafel_Waffle)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/5 "2001-08-16T21:58:32Z")
I agree with **alice\_in\_wonderland**. I was taught this way of pronunciation. And I have noticed most people usually stick to it. Hard H = ‘a’, soft H = ‘an’ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wooba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/aeb1de/32.png) [@wooba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wooba)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/6 "2001-08-16T22:00:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Beltane \* > \*\* As I understand it “an” is used before historical in england. I seem to remember a rant about how awfull “a historical” sounds on a message board (the poster was British) It was pointed out, however, that the queen mum has been know to say “a historical” I believe the rational for “an historical” is that the h is “soft” Possibly Americaninzed English speakers pronound the “h” on historical more prominantly? \*\* In the case of the word historical (indeed, other cases also) it would depend how you pronounce the a. I went to AHH historical building - sounds totally wrong to me or I went to AYE historical building. - still sounds wrong to me, but not as bad. I personally would use an (I’m british/canadian educated) in this case. There is another word I usually regularly, which I cannot for the life of me think of that doesn’t start with a vowel or an H but I put “an” before it… it just doesn’t sound right otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![ShouldBeWorking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@ShouldBeWorking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShouldBeWorking)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/7 "2001-08-16T22:00:44Z")
Clarification: Yes. This seems to be more to do with the “hard” vs. the “soft” sound than with the letter involved. as in “a usual” vs. “an usual” --\> I think this is “a usual” because of the long “u” being pronounced like a “y” I know how I’d say it, I just don’t know the official rules. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/8 "2001-08-16T22:16:30Z")
[nitpick] It’s unlikely “an historical event” happened anywhere. An historic event, but not historical. When Nixon resigned, it was an historic event, not an historical one. [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![ShouldBeWorking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@ShouldBeWorking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShouldBeWorking)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/9 "2001-08-16T22:23:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BobT \* > \*\*It’s unlikely “an historical event” happened anywhere. An historic event, but not historical. > \*\* Thanks BobT. That was my mistake - not Dan Rather’s. But, don’t you mean “a historic event?” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/10 "2001-08-16T22:34:14Z")
Noooooooooooooo! It’s baaaaaack. We had real long discussion of this a couple of months ago. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2001, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/11 "2001-08-16T22:45:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BobT \* > \*\*[nitpick] > It’s unlikely “an historical event” happened anywhere. An historic event, but not historical. > > When Nixon resigned, it was an historic event, not an historical one. > [/nitpick] \*\* Not exactly; Nixon’s resignation was an historic event at the time; now it is also an historical event. From Merrian-Webster’s: his·tor·ic. adjective Pronunciation: hi-'stor-ik, -'stär- : HISTORICAL: as a : famous or important in history \ b : having great and lasting importance \ c : known or established in the past \ d : dating from or preserved from a past time or culture \ \ his·tor·i·cal. adjective 1 a : of, relating to, or having the character of history b : based on history c : used in the past and reproduced in historical presentations 2 : famous in history : HISTORIC a 3 a : SECONDARY 1c b : DIACHRONIC \ Note that MW says “an historic occasion.” The reason that “historic” and “historical” take “an” rather than “a” is that they are stressed on the second syllable. In contrast, “history” is stressed on the first syllable and takes “a”. The rule is that, if a word begins with a vowel sound (or an unstressed h) it takes “an;” if it begins with a consonant sound, it takes “a,” regardless of the actual letter involved: an unusual event a usual occurrence a one-year absence ---
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/12 "2001-08-17T00:08:15Z")
It only feels like a couple of months. The last time was about 30 days ago. [“Anyways” & “An Historic”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=77977) ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/13 "2001-08-17T04:15:24Z")
Another reason that I think it is becoming common is that newspapers use a spell checker in editing. That program has no clue to how the “h” is pronounced and so it puts “an” before all words starting with “h”. Damn computers I don’t trust them gadgets! ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2001, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-or-an-before-h-words/76641/14 "2001-08-17T06:06:32Z")
Naturally this brings up an appropriate Monty Python bit, the Eric the Half a Bee sketch Guy 1: a 'alibut Guy 2: a what? Guy 1: (enunciating carefully) An halibut Getting it wrong both ways AFAIK