0
Seraphin Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
a(n) university ??
Which is correct? A university or An university.
I googled this question and found conflicting results
e.g.
Charles Dickens in All the Year Round used "Wickliffe, teacher himself in AN university, felt ..."
Many books use titles
"the launching of a univeristy"
"the idea of a university"
"a unviersity for the 21st century"
I am confused
I googled this question and found conflicting results
e.g.
Charles Dickens in All the Year Round used "Wickliffe, teacher himself in AN university, felt ..."
Many books use titles
"the launching of a univeristy"
"the idea of a university"
"a unviersity for the 21st century"
I am confused
Top answer
AmE uses a university. BrE uses an more liberally. My mother used to tell the one about the Englishman who was visiting America, and heard a howling sound one dark night in the woods.
- AmE uses a university.
- BrE uses an more liberally.
- My mother used to tell the one about the Englishman who was visiting America, and heard a howling sound one dark night in the woods.
- E: What's that?
- A: It's an owl.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
8 Answers
0
AmE uses a university. BrE uses an more liberally.
My mother used to tell the one about the Englishman who was visiting America, and heard a howling sound one dark night in the woods.
E: What's that?
A: It's an owl.
E: I know its an (h)owl, but who's (h)owling?
I believe "an university" is obsolete, but AmE would say "a
My mother used to tell the one about the Englishman who was visiting America, and heard a howling sound one dark night in the woods.
E: What's that?
A: It's an owl.
E: I know its an (h)owl, but who's (h)owling?
I believe "an university" is obsolete, but AmE would say "a
00
The use of 'a' or 'an' is based on pronunciation.
If a word begins with a vowel sound, you should use 'an'. For example:
- an apple
- an elephant
- an idea
- an orange
- an umbrella
- an hour
- an SOS
If a word begins with a consonant sound, you should use 'a'. This includes some words that have a vowel at the beginning.
If a word begins with a vowel sound, you should use 'an'. For example:
- an apple
- an elephant
- an idea
- an orange
- an umbrella
- an hour
- an SOS
If a word begins with a consonant sound, you should use 'a'. This includes some words that have a vowel at the beginning.
00
also 'a' university in British English.
Dickens was writing a long time ago.
Dickens was writing a long time ago.
00
Yes, Yankee's comments above pretty much speak for British English usage, as well as for American English. The initial u in the 'consonant' examples given by Yankee is invariably pronounced as yoo.
As for British usage of 'An historic(al)', you will still occasionally find it, and I think one is supposed to drop the h when pronouncing it, i.e. "An 'isto
As for British usage of 'An historic(al)', you will still occasionally find it, and I think one is supposed to drop the h when pronouncing it, i.e. "An 'isto
00
How does university have a consonant sound at the beginning? U is a vowel and it makes a vowel sound when spoken. Surely it would be better to say there is no real rule that denotres the usage of these a's and an's.
00
AnonymousHow does university have a consonant sound at the beginning? U is a vowel and it makes a vowel sound when spoken. Surely it would be better to say there is no real rule that denotres the usage of these a's and an's.
University has the "y" sound of Yeti, Yamaha, and yak, which is a consonant.
It is quite unlike the vowel sound
00
Grammar Geekthat's where there are no rules (that I know of)Possible "rule".
If the third letter of a word with initial u, other than a word with the prefix un-, is a vowel, it almost certainly will need "a", not "an".
an um b rella
an un c le
an un d erstanding
an un stable s
00
Excellent!
So, remove the "un" words from the pile, and look at the third letter.
Gotcha!
So, remove the "un" words from the pile, and look at the third letter.
Gotcha!
0
Related Questions