Using “a” and “an” Before Words Raphael asks: When should I use “a” and when should I use “an” before the different words? For example, should I say “a hour” or “an hour?” I stumble over this everytime and dont’t know if I’m getting it right, as

It has always been my understanding, that "the" should be pronounced with a LONG E before a vowel and a SHORT E before a consonant . However, lately, I hear only the short sound used. This applies to new broadcasters and others who do

I'm going to pass on the "should" question. My instinct tells me it could be ambiguous, because "should" has several uses. If you use "should" in the sense of "ought to," then it would be redundant.

This debate really seems to be about two different things, spelling and pronunciation. The letter w (and y) is often used with other vowels (and sometimes alone as well) in spelling to reperesent a vowel sound . In the words hi and by , the letter

Hi friends, In this link: http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/about.html you will see there are 15 vowels in American English. In this link: http://www.ic.arizona.edu/~lsp/IPA/SSAE.html you will see there are 12 vowels in Standard American

I can half understand why we don't say Paree, but why shouldn't English speaking people be able to sort out ... ard' instead of 'Mare lind' (Ok, I can't do Fontanian symbols) and the 'normal' pronunciation of the

Rubbish (meant nicely, but). Shades of my old Eng Lit ... gem, but doesn't fit the scansion. Nothing more, nothing less. Okay, now what about this issue of the pronunciation? Ross implied that the "Lancasheer" pronunciation which

}> }> I can half understand why we don't say Paree, but why shouldn't }> English speaking people be able to sort out the local pronunciations }> of proper nouns in English speaking countries? Why do all English }> people, it

I can half understand why we don't say Paree, but why shouldn't English speaking people be able to sort out ... as 'Mary land' and 'Hewlett Packard' as 'Hewlett PACK ard' instead of 'Mare lind' (Ok, I

Surely you mean "Woosester": There was once a young lady ... part of what Gowers, inMEU 2, calls "the speak-as-you-spell movement". Ten or so years ago, in conversation with a Brit from nearCambridge, I mentioned Pontefract and