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Ric.ror | 11:37 Wed 18th Sep 2013 | ChatterBank
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an hour or a hour?
An sounds better than a but I was always taught its always An for a word not beggining with a vowel
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AN before word beginning with a vowel
Chambers 21st Century Dictionary Chambers Thesaurus Chambers Biographical Dictionary 1997 edition
Search results for 'AN':
a1 (used before a consonant or consonant sound, eg a boy, a one) or (used before a vowel or vowel sound, eg an egg, an hour)
An hour, we don't pronounce the h so the word sounds like it starts with a vowel. An for word beginning vowel, an office, an aeroplane, a for a word beginning with a consonant a dog, a doctor
I think I was taught to write a hour, a hotel but to say an hour or an hotel.

It was a while ago though and I still follow that rule.
an hour

when I was at school we said an hotel as well, but it seems the H is more pronounced these days, rather than an 'otel.
An hour; an hotel; an historic; an heir.
A house; a hero; a helper; a hotspot.

It mainly depends on the first syllable. Where the h is definitely spoken then it is preceded with 'a'. Where the h is silent or the second syllable is the stressed part of the word then it is 'an'.

The word 'hour' is a good example. We don't say 'how-er', we say 'ours'.
My posh mother always said an hotel including pronouncing the h
An hour for me
Question Author
I have put An which sounds better

But then I am northern so we have flat vowels anyway

Thank you all

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