This site uses cookies. Some of these cookies are essential to the operation of the site, while others help to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used. For more information, please see the ProZ.com privacy policy.
Cookie settings
  1. KudoZ™ Top
  2. English
  3. General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters

"a" or "an"

English translation: an

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
English term or phrase:\"a\" or \"an\"
Selected answer:an
Entered by: Charlesp

10:45 Feb 27, 2020
English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / use of a/an
English term or phrase: "a" or "an"
preceding "ABR Simplified contract"

... the parties will prepare a/an ABR Simplified contract...
Charlesp
Sweden
Local time: 20:14
an
Explanation:
"An" goes before all vowels except for certain words beginning with "u"
Selected response from:

Emily Gilby
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:14
Grading comment
The "an"s have it!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
5 +12an
Emily Gilby
Summary of reference entries provided
fwiw/hth
writeaway
previous question
Yvonne Gallagher

  

Answers


6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +12
\"a\" or \"an\"
an


Explanation:
"An" goes before all vowels except for certain words beginning with "u"

Emily Gilby
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:14
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Grading comment
The "an"s have it!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Tony M: Yes, and in the case of acronyms, it also helps to think how it would be pronounced: "an SLR", because we'd pronounce it 'ess'.
1 min
  -> That’s right, I knew there were more rules but I couldn’t think just then, thank you!
agree  Thomas T. Frost: Yes, well, it's the sound that matters, not the letter, so it's 'an hour' but 'a yellow bag'. And then there's the odd case of some people preferring 'an historic event'.
7 mins
  -> Indeed, thank you!
agree  writeaway: a historical may be more common but an historical is hardly "odd"
43 mins
agree  Ella Finn
1 hr
agree  AllegroTrans
2 hrs
agree  Veronica Allievi
2 hrs
agree  Sheila Wilson
2 hrs
agree  Edith Kelly
3 hrs
agree  Mark Robertson
4 hrs
agree  Ali Sharifi
4 hrs
agree  Zahra Ghobadi
10 hrs
agree  Dagmar Rehaneková
1 day 1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)




Reference comments


7 mins peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: fwiw/hth

Reference information:
https://www.grammar.com/a-vs-an-when-to-use/

writeaway
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  AllegroTrans: James Joyce wrote of eating "a egg" for his breakfast but he isn't around to contribute to this forum
2 hrs
  -> can you imagine the discussions if he were.......
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 day 1 hr peer agreement (net): +1
Reference: previous question

Reference information:
https://www.proz.com/kudoz/english/education-pedagogy/676390...

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 659

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  AllegroTrans: good example of the need to look (listen) to the actual sound that follows the article
4 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

Return to KudoZ list

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.

See also:
ProZ.com term search
Search millions of term translations
Close search
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search