Grammar Puzzles Solved (25): Why do we say “a university” instead of “an university”?
3. Why do we say “a university” instead of “an university”?
This is a classic question about articles—specifically the use of “a” and “an” before nouns.
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An umbrella is correct because “umbrella” begins with a vowel sound (/ʌ/), like the “uh” in “under”.
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Use “a” before a consonant sound (even if the word starts with a vowel letter).
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Use “an” before a vowel sound (even if the word starts with a consonant letter).
So, always pay attention to the sound, not just the spelling!
