The choice of a or an is not based on the initial written letter. It is based on the initial sound. You have to listen to sounds, not look at letters, to decide. The most common examples are with words that start with the "y" sound,

As per phonetics theory, I've been told one should use the indefinite article "a" before words beginning with a consonant and "an" before words beginning with a vowel or a diphthong. And the sound "y" ( or / j /

instruction. >>I don't have any >> formal ESL training or certification, but >>I do tutor some >>foreign >> students in ... on. to >>> ESL lessons run by competent teachers (and that's a big

Anyway, "el agua" is not confusing, since there is ... the masculine article ("el águila", "el hacha", etc.) for euphony. No they don't all use the "masculine article." Why do Spanish teachers keep

...for some value of "the literature." See http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/001133.html#more, about halfway down in the discussion of the "Retart Zone". The entire article, both parts, is well worth reading.

No preview available.

Would the usage "nucular" be attached only to macho domains such as "war" and "weapons" or would be also used as an adjective to describe "medicine," "research" and "family?" I've

Donna Richoux: I suppose I need to spell out ... that "911" ... to always be said "nine one one," though, didn't it? Richard Fontana: That was and is the majority usage. But "nine eleven" was occasionally heard.

Once upon a 2/26/04 12:14 AM, in the land of (Email Removed), the good witch "Al Treacher" from (Email Removed) told the whole world all about how: Mentally wrestling with the correct usage of 'an' or 'a' before a word

In article (Snip) Incidentally is the military pronunciation of "route" as "rowt" common in the UK military as well as in the US? I've not come across it here, but then I don't have many dealings with the military of