# EN: an / a beautiful ambassador



## Fab!

Hello everybody, 

Should I say "a gorgeous ambassador" or "an gorgoeus ambassador"? I think that the correct sentence is with 'a' but I am not sure.


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## strathspey

Hi,

Yes, that's right. Use "an" if it comes directly before a vowel. And in some cases an h, I think it is if the h is silent. Like "an honest man". But "a humble man".


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## Fab!

OK! I knew that but I wasn't sure that it still would be correct if an adjective was positioned before the name (ex : an american  becomes a/an? typical american). I got the answer because of you! Thanks a lot!


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## strathspey

It is about the sound, more than anything. So even for acronyms, we say (and write) "an SOS" "an FD" etc.


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## Maître Capello

Voir également les discussions suivantes:
EN: a / an
EN: a/an - before words starting with "h"
EN: a/an + acronym


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## Zolina

I have heard people say that "an gorgeous ambassador" is correct since "ambassador" starts with a vowel, but this rule is extremely outdated, and any native speaker would correct you if you say "an gorgeous..." whether it its technically correct or not


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## Fab!

To Zolina : what would be the right sentence so?


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## Zolina

"a gorgeous ambassador"


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## Keith Bradford

Zolina said:


> I have heard people say that "an gorgeous ambassador" is correct since "ambassador" starts with a vowel, but this rule is extremely outdated..



Not only outdated but it isn't, and never has been, correct.

This rule is about phonetics, not grammar.  The word "an" is governed by the sound of a vowel - /a/ in this case - and nothing else.


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## Fab!

Sorry but I do not understand why I cannot write an "a" in this sentence. It seems to me that is a little bit in contradiction to the basic grammar rules I know...


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## Zolina

"a" is correct; "an" is incorrect.


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## Yuujen

Ignore grammar when it comes to "a" or "an"; it's all about how it sounds - so if the word that comes _directly_ after the article starts with a vowel sound, then use "an" and if it starts with a consonant sound, use "a".
Examples:
_A man_
_An honest man
A stupid man

An apple
A green apple
An ugly apple
_


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## Fab!

OK ! Thank you all! I think I'm understanding. Whatever the name is, the a or an is in fact linked to the sound of the adjective, isn't it?
So I should say: 
"a powerful arm"
"an obvious guess"
"an accidently mistake"
"an accurate figure"
Etc.


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## Zolina

you use "a" before words that start with a consonant and "an" before words that start with a vowel or silent h, no matter whether they are adjective or noun.


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## Keith Bradford

Fab! said:


> OK ! Thank you all! I think I'm understanding. Whatever the name is, the a or an is in fact linked to the sound of the adjective, isn't it?
> ...



Tout à fait.  Le phénomène est exactement comme l'utilisation en français du L-apostrophe. 

*Le* garçon / *l'*autre garçon
*L'*an / *le* nouvel an

...et pour la même raison : la voix humaine a du mal à prononcer deux voyelles de suite.


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