Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse writers. I have found the following to be among them:
A HISTORIC / AN HISTORIC
What determines the use of the articles “a” and “an” is whether they precede a vowel sound or a consonant sound. Notice that I used the term “vowel sound” rather than simply “vowel.” The reason for having “an” as an alternative to the article “a” no doubt came about as a means of enabling smoother speech. Therefore the article “an” is used before such words as “hour” and “honest” even though those words begin with a consonant because their initial consonant is silent. In words where the initial consonant is pronounced in speech, such as “historic,” the article “a” would be the proper one to precede it. (Some people don’t pronounce the “h” in “historic” when speaking, but according to major dictionaries and linguists, they should.)
INCORRECT: This is an historic moment in the lives of Americans.
CORRECT: This is a historic moment in the lives of Americans.
© 2017 Ann Henry, all rights reserved.