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Beanie Posted 21 years ago
Vocabulary

A or an?

Hi,

I want to write, "I have a unique animal". I believe the grammar rule is "an before a vowel".
So is it correct to write "I have an unique animal"? That sounds funny to me.

Thanks for your help,
Beanie
  

Top answer

Hi Beanie, Welcome to English Forums! The rule is 'an' before a vowel sound , not necessarily the letters a,e, i, o, u. 'Unique' is pronounced /yu: 'ni:k/, so it should be 'a unique animal'.

— Mister Micawber

  • Hi Beanie, Welcome to English Forums!
  • The rule is 'an' before a vowel sound , not necessarily the letters a,e, i, o, u.
  • 'Unique' is pronounced /yu: 'ni:k/, so it should be 'a unique animal'.
  • Similarly: an honorable discharge a ukulele an heir to the throne a UN representative an NBC executive an x-ray exposure
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1 Answers
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Hi Beanie,

Welcome to English Forums!

The rule is 'an' before a vowel sound, not necessarily the letters a,e, i, o, u. 'Unique' is pronounced /yu: 'ni:k/, so it should be 'a unique animal'.

Similarly:

an honorable discharge
a ukulele
an heir to the throne
a UN representative
an NBC executive
an x-ray exposure
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