A or An

[denis567]

I have always understood that any noun starting with a vowel, should be preceded by an rather than a,
I have just been reading a Jane Austen novel, and on more than one occasion she writes, an union.
This does not sound right, and it made me wonder if there are any other examples where a noun starting with a vowel sounds better with a rather than an.

[jno]

Calibax, I say a habitual and a historic, and sound the H clearly in both cases.

I still say forrid because it's easier to say than four head (which is probably how it got shortened in the first place). And the spelling of hiccup is replacing hiccough. By and large though I think the tendency is for spelling and pronunciation to fall in line together and irregular versions to fade away.

My mother didn't say goff, but she said orff and she; I say off and ski.

[jno]

also, A and AN sometimes change. It used to be a napron, a norange (like the Spanish - naranja) a numpire, a nauger and a nadder. And an ewt.

[factor-fiction]

Norman Stanley Fletcher was an habitual criminal, I recall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVFg8KAJBHM

[jno]

no nabitual prisoners at my end of the town

[Old_Geezer]

Interesting thread. Points out things are not as simple as I thought, on this subject. But IMO it all comes down to what sounds right. And if what sounds right to you is not what sounds right to me, then you are obviously wrong.