Grammar Guidelines

Many people get confused about whether to use "a" or "an" before words such as "historic" or "hospital." The key to proper use is this... use "a" before words that begin with a consonant sound (e.g., a computer); use "an" before words that begin with a vowel sound (e.g., an anomaly). When the "h" is pronounced, such as with "historic," you use "a" (e.g., a historic day for the U.S.).