Basically, an article is an adjective. Like adjectives, articles modify nouns. English has two articles: the and a/an. The is used to refer to specific or particular nouns; a/an is used to modify non-specific or non-particular nouns. We call the the definite article and a/an the indefinite article. the = definite article. a/an = indefinite article. To enhance your writing and speech, pay attention to the correct usage of an and practice applying it in your daily language. An Definition: What Does An Mean? Understanding the term an is foundational for mastering English grammar. (The words an and a are known as articles.) The sound of a word's first letter determines whether to use an or a. If the word starts with a vowel sound, you should use an. If it starts with a consonant sound, you should use a. For example: Buy a house in an hour. An unknown goblin killed a unicorn. You should use a when the word that follows sounds like it begins with a consonant (‘a dog,’ ‘a balloon’). You should use an if the word that follows sounds like it begins with a vowel (‘an ant,’ ‘an elevator’). 'A' is used before words starting with a consonant sound, even if the first letter is a vowel. 'An' is used before words starting with a vowel sound, even if the first letter is a consonant. 'And' is a conjunction used to join words or phrases, serving a different purpose than 'a' or 'an'. Writers sometimes confuse the use of the articles a and an. We were all taught that a precedes a word starting with a consonant and that an precedes a word starting with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y). Here’s the secret to making the rule work: The rule applies to the sound of the letter beginning the word, not just the letter itself. Some grammar rules are as straightforward as can be — at first glance, at least. We’re taught in grade school to use “a” before words beginning with consonants and “an” before words that start with vowels. That means you could plant “a herb garden,” right? Then why does “an herb garden” sound slightly better to our American ears? In this quick guide, I’ll show you exactly when to use “a” and when to use “an” (with easy examples you’ll remember forever). So, if you want to write with confidence and sound fluent, let’s finally master “an or a” once and for all! 🚀. We use the indefinite article, a/an, with singular nouns when the listener/reader does not know exactly which one we are referring to: Police are searching for a 14-year-old girl. We also use it to show that the person or thing is one of a group: She is a pupil at London Road School. Before a consonant sound represented by a vowel letter a is usual. but an also occurs though less frequently now than formerly. Before unstressed or weakly stressed syllables with initial h both a and an are used in writing.