# a half or an half



## Nil-the-Frogg

Everything is in the title, I think.


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## mattaku

Sans doute "a half" puisqu'on prononce le "h".


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## pieanne

Definitely *a *half!


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## PTS

definitely a pint, if you ask me..


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## Nil-the-Frogg

PTS said:


> definitely a pint, if you ask me..




Thanks.


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## BMR

PTS said:


> definitely a pint, if you ask me..



OK I just understand the rule here.
We say _*a half*_ not because there is a "h" (as Mattaku said)
but because we order *a pint* on the other side (as PTS said).
It's clear for me, now !


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## homme93

it doesn't matter too much, but in english, we _write _*an *half but we _say _*a *half.


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## pyan

homme93 said:


> it doesn't matter too much, but in english, we _write _*an *half but we _say _*a *half.


I write a half.  The "h" is aspirated.


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## Aupick

homme93 said:


> it doesn't matter too much, but in english, we _write _*an *half but we _say _*a *half.


I emphatically disagree. I've never written or seen "an half" in my life.


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## RuK

Me too, I write "a half".

I've noticed Americans often write "an herbal tea" (GB "a herbal tea", because the hhh is aspirated -- HHHERbal not erbal). I've also seen "an hotel", which is antiquated and Victorian. However, never "an half".


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## Jubbers

Americans pronounce "herb" without the h but in England it's pronounced with the h. Therefore you may see "an herb" in American but in England it's "a herb".


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## mplsray

Jubbers said:


> Americans pronounce "herb" without the h but in England it's pronounced with the h. Therefore you may see "an herb" in American but in England it's "a herb".


 
I'd like to add that there are indeed Americans who pronounce the _h_ in _herb_ and _herbal_--my family does, for example. Although rarer, it's just as standard in American English as is the pronunciation with a silent _h._


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## fillefrancaise

My contribution:

Most people (including me) would say _a half _in conversationfollowing the rule for consonants but I am pretty sure it's in fact proper english to use _an _for _h _words. For example I know you should say _an historic event _- I've even heard them say this in news bulletins. 

I agree with homme93; it breaks the rule.
Thanks


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## fillefrancaise

I did some research. . . here's another opinion that sheds some light on the topic.

"It was my impression that the rule for "BBC English" is that if the 
initial syllable of the "h" word is unstressed (historical) one uses 
"an", whereas if it is stressed (history), one uses "a"."
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jlawler/aue/a-an.html

. . ._half _is one syllable and so the word is emphasised/stressed. Most words fall into this category.

SO, I think you use _an _if the _h _sound is silent (e.g. honour) or if the first syllable of an _h _word is _not_ stressed (e.g. historic).

_An half _certainly did seem strange . . .


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## mplsray

fillefrancaise said:


> I did some research. . . here's another opinion that sheds some light on the topic.
> 
> "It was my impression that the rule for "BBC English" is that if the
> initial syllable of the "h" word is unstressed (historical) one uses
> "an", whereas if it is stressed (history), one uses "a"."
> http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jlawler/aue/a-an.html


 
Just a cautionary comment. The opinion expressed above does not belong to John Lawler, the American linguist from whose Web site the above was taken. His answer to the person expressing that opinion was given later in the page. This page, like some others from Lawler's site, is taken from a discussion in the Usenet newsgroup alt.usage.english (or "aue") in which Lawler participated.



> . . ._half _is one syllable and so the word is emphasised/stressed. Most words fall into this category.
> 
> SO, I think you use _an _if the _h _sound is silent (e.g. honour) or if the first syllable of an _h _word is _not_ stressed (e.g. historic).
> 
> _An half _certainly did seem strange . . .


 
The aue FAQ here says of the rule based upon unaccented syllables that it is "'now obsolescent' in British English (Collins English Dictionary), although 'an historian' is retained in more dialects than 'an hotel'."


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## mally pense

BMR said:


> OK I just understand the rule here.
> We say _*a half*_ not because there is a "h" (as Mattaku said)
> but because we order *a pint* on the other side (as PTS said).
> It's clear for me, now !


 
I'm sure you understand PTS's little joke, but just in anyone does not, I should perhaps explain that PTS's comment is nothing to do with grammar, just that it is traditional for men (at least) to order a pint (of beer) rather than a half.


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## mally pense

I think I should perhaps comment that in regional dialects or colloquial English where the 'h' *is* dropped, "an" _would_ be used. Thus it wouldn't be unusual to hear:

*"I'll 'ave an 'alf"* (meaning "I'll have a half")


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