"an eulogy" or "a eulogy"?

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Paul - 18 Jun 2008 18:13 GMT

As per phonetics theory, I've been told one should use the indefinite
article "a" before words beginning with a consonant and "an" before
words beginning with a vowel or a diphthong. And the sound "y" ( or /
j / in phonetic script) as in "eulogy", "university", "European"
etc. is to be treated as a consonant (though in certain contexts one
would also call it a "semi-vowel").

Why is it that I still find "an" preceeding this sound in certain
write-ups generating combinations such as "an eulogy", and "an
university" ? Are these instances of incorrect usage?

Paul.

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Einde O'Callaghan - 18 Jun 2008 18:41 GMT

> As per phonetics theory, I've been told one should use the indefinite
> article "a" before words beginning with a consonant and "an" before
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
> write-ups generating combinations such as "an eulogy", and "an
> university" ? Are these instances of incorrect usage?

Yes - the choice of "a" or "an" is a question of pronunciation, not of
spelling.

Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

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Simon Rayner - 19 Jun 2008 14:04 GMT

In message
<3921f19a-6fe1-4a15-97c9-74007c2be7b2@p25g2000pri.googlegroups.com>,
Paul <paulmathewmac@gmail.com> writes

>As per phonetics theory, I've been told one should use the indefinite
>article "a" before words beginning with a consonant and "an" before
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
>Paul.

A lot of people write 'an hotel', which always surprises me. Do they say
it without the 'h'? I think 'a eulogy' and 'a university' are
preferable.

Simon

Signature

Simon Rayner

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Einde O'Callaghan - 19 Jun 2008 14:16 GMT

> In message
> <3921f19a-6fe1-4a15-97c9-74007c2be7b2@p25g2000pri.googlegroups.com>,
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> A lot of people write 'an hotel', which always surprises me. Do they say
> it without the 'h'? I think 'a eulogy' and 'a university' are preferable.

The pronunciation of the "h" in words like "hotel" and "history" is
quite recent. These words are of French origin and the "h" isn't
pronounced initially in French. In the case of some words of French
origin such as "hour and "honest" the "h" is still not pronounced. And
in the case of some other words both pronunciations are possible e.g. in
"herb" the "h" is pronounced in Britain but I understand that it isn't
in many parts of the US.

Regards, Einde O'Callaghan

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Ildhund - 19 Jun 2008 16:39 GMT

>> In message
>> <3921f19a-6fe1-4a15-97c9-74007c2be7b2@p25g2000pri.googlegroups.com>,
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> pronunciations are possible e.g. in "herb" the "h" is pronounced
> in Britain but I understand that it isn't in many parts of the US.

Many English people use 'an' before some words beginning with 'h',
but my experience is that this only occurs (apart from the cases
where the 'h' is mute anyway) when the first syllable is not
accented. Thus 'a history' but 'an historian'.

Signature

Noel

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Paul - 21 Jun 2008 18:07 GMT

> >> In message
> >> <3921f19a-6fe1-4a15-97c9-74007c2be...@p25g2000pri.googlegroups.com>,
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> --
> Noel

I'd be interested in finding out how many are there in this group of
ours who'd prefer 'an historian' to a historian'. (This is only a
matter of academic curiosity! O.K?)

Paul

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Christopher C. Hunt - 06 Sep 2009 21:21 GMT

>> >> In message
>> >> <3921f19a-6fe1-4a15-97c9-74007c2be...@p25g2000pri.googlegroups.com>,
[quoted text clipped - 22 lines]
>
> Paul

I'm Canadian, and I usually say and write "an historian". In this country
it comes across as a bit of an affectation, but I allow myself a few of
those!

Cheers,

Chris

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Discussion Groups / British English / September 2009

"an eulogy" or "a eulogy"?