A or An unanimous?

Specval · Oct 5, 2012

Hi everyone. I've googled this and I've found what I believe to be the correct answer, but I trust you guys more than my search.

What I've found suggests that it's 'a unanimous' (which I have to agree sounds better), but it doesn't follow the rule. Also, the reasoning I found for it seems silly. We use A because unanimous is pronounced like you-nanimous???

So I just want to make sure A goes before unanimous and the reasoning is correct?

Thank you!

gettingby · Oct 5, 2012

It's an unanimous.

alleycat · Oct 5, 2012

You go by the sound of the first syllable of the next word, not always by whether the word starts with a vowel or not.

I would think it's a unanimous.

veinglory · Oct 5, 2012

alleycat said:
You go by the sound of the first syllable of the next word, not always by whether the word start with a vowel or not.

I would think it a unanimous.

+1.

mccardey · Oct 5, 2012

A

Really, it is.

A lot of things don't follow the rules.

ETA: It does follow the rule, if the rule is that you use a before words that start with a consonant sound and an with words that start with a vowel sound. But sometimes there are exceptions to rules - all rules. Drives me crazy, too.

Specval · Oct 5, 2012

alleycat said:
You go by the sound of the first syllable of the next word, not always by whether the word start with a vowel or not.

I would think it's a unanimous.

See I thought the rule was more clean cut. If it's a vowel you put 'an'

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's uncertain about this. I felt a little dumb having to ask. lol

veinglory · Oct 5, 2012

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/591/01/
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/a-versus-an.aspx

Indeed, a unicorn, a (w)one-horned animal, an (h)onorable animal.

The rule is based on the phonetic whether it sounds like a vowel, not whether is is spelled with a vowel.

rugcat · Oct 5, 2012

Specval said:
What I've found suggests that it's 'a unanimous' (which I have to agree sounds better), but it doesn't follow the rule. Also, the reasoning I found for it seems silly. We use A because unanimous is pronounced like you-nanimous???

So I just want to make sure A goes before unanimous and the reasoning is correct?

Thank you!

It's not silly at all. The "rule" has to do with the sound of the word following "a" or "an," not the letter.

Thus, an hour, because the h is silent and the word starts with a vowel sound

But, a one track mind, because the "o" in one starts with the sound of a w.

"A" unanimous decision is most definitely correct.

heza · Oct 5, 2012

veinglory beat me with the link

fadeaccompli · Oct 5, 2012

Specval said:
See I thought the rule was more clean cut. If it's a vowel you put 'an'

I'm glad I'm not the only one who's uncertain about this. I felt a little dumb having to ask. lol

It's a little fuzzier than that. Basically, we don't like putting two vowel sounds right next to each other, because it requires a little break to distinguish them, which messes with the flow of words in English. Try saying "a unbuttoning" or "a uncle" out loud. That's why we have "an" with those instead. (Fun fact! "an uncle" used to be "a nuncle", in the reverse of how "an ewt" became "a newt".)

But a lot of words in English that are written to start with vowels actually have a consonant sort of sound at the beginning, more like the letter Y. Compare "a universe", where it sounds like you-ni-verse. Or unanimous.

Then you get the other side of things, where we pronounce some H's and some we don't, and it varies by dialect, so you have a historian or an historian, depending on who you're talking to.

But I digress.

In any case, in American English, you would have a unanimous opinion about an unlocked door.

Susan Coffin · Oct 5, 2012

It's a. Period.

Cricket18 · Oct 5, 2012

You could say, "The descision was unanimous," and not have to worry.

But.....

Susan Littlefield said:
It's a. Period.

This.

gettingby · Oct 5, 2012

Ooops. I was wrong. Looked to quickly without thinking. Sorry. It is A

Specval · Oct 5, 2012

Cricket18 said:
You could say, "The descision was unanimous," and not have to worry.

But.....

This.

Oh I tried to rewrite it so I didn't have to deal with this... but it just wasn't working. lol

Thank you all very much for helping me figure this out. It all makes sense now! I'm sure I've written 'a unanimous' or things like "an hour" numerous times, but once someone called me on it and I had to think about it, I couldn't figure out what the rule really is. Thanks again everyone!

benbradley · Oct 5, 2012

rugcat said:
It's not silly at all. The "rule" has to do with the sound of the word following "a" or "an," not the letter.

This. ^

Look for other words that start with the same sound, but not necessarily the same spelling:
A yearning.
A youthful yearning.
A unanimous youthful yearning.
A euphemistic unanimous youthful yearning.
An alliterative euphemistic unanimous youthful yearning.

BethS · Oct 5, 2012

It's "a unanimous."

rwm4768 · Oct 5, 2012

It's "a."

You wouldn't say an yard, would you?

Bufty · Oct 6, 2012

'A' or 'an' usage also varies depending upon how the speaker speaks.

Jamesaritchie · Oct 6, 2012

Bufty said:
'A' or 'an' usage also varies depending upon how the speaker speaks.

Not in writing. Editors usually have no clue how people speak, and only see the word son the page. Getting it wrong too often can take an editor out of the story and cause rejection.

Williebee · Oct 6, 2012

Editors usually have no clue how people speak,

Do you really believe that?

Editors, by and large, do know what words sound like, if only in their native tongue, yes? An editor who didn't have a rudimentary grasp of the regular rhythm and flow of language would be out of a job, or limited to working for themselves, I should think.

As indicated above, the pronunciation of the word (caveat - the English word, other languages may have other rules that apply) is made with the "u" shape and sound, so "a" would be correct.

Deleted member 42 · Oct 6, 2012

Jamesaritchie said:
Not in writing. Editors usually have no clue how people speak, and only see the word son the page. Getting it wrong too often can take an editor out of the story and cause rejection.

Mr. Ritchie, are you an editor?

Or are you posting deliberate canards as some sort of eccentric form of amusement?

Because your assertion that "Editors usually have no clue how people speak, and only see the word son [sic] the page" reflects exceedingly poorly on your level of professionalism, and actual experience.

If you're getting rejected, it's not because of a minor issue of phonology like the use of "a" vs. "an" before a voiced vowel. It's for far deeper causes.

It's both untrue and insulting.

mccardey · Oct 6, 2012

Jamesaritchie said:
Editors usually have no clue how people speak, and only see the word son the page.

Oh, James...

Susan Coffin · Oct 6, 2012

Well, I can see a character using "an unanimous" in dialogue. Characters, as real people, don't often speak correctly- they mix tenses, use slang, and use strange word constructions. As long as the above phrase is in line with how the character has been speaking all along, I don't see why an agent or editor would have a question. I think they can tell the difference between voice and poor writing by other aspects of the writing.

Bufty · Oct 6, 2012

What are you talking about - not in writing.

Dialogue is writing. A cockney character will drop his aitches all over the place, scatter 'an's like seed, and pay not the slightest regard to whether it's 'right' or 'wrong'.

It's right if it sounds right and wrong if it doesn't.

Jamesaritchie said:
Not in writing. Editors usually have no clue how people speak, and only see the word son the page. Getting it wrong too often can take an editor out of the story and cause rejection.

PEBKAC2 · Oct 7, 2012

Williebee said:
Do you really believe that?

Editors, by and large, do know what words sound like, if only in their native tongue, yes? An editor who didn't have a rudimentary grasp of the regular rhythm and flow of language would be out of a job, or limited to working for themselves, I should think.

As indicated above, the pronunciation of the word (caveat - the English word, other languages may have other rules that apply) is made with the "u" shape and sound, so "a" would be correct.

I took the statement as the editor not knowing how the writer speaks, so if a writer using a and an speaks in a way not conventional to the editor's culture, there could be a problem there.

A or An unanimous?

Specval

gettingby

alleycat

Still around

veinglory

volitare nequeo

mccardey

Specval

veinglory

volitare nequeo

rugcat

Lost in the Fog

heza

fadeaccompli

here and there again

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is

Cricket18

Gnawing my hairless tail

gettingby

Specval

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world

BethS

rwm4768

practical experience, FTW

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Jamesaritchie

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.

Deleted member 42

mccardey

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

PEBKAC2

Will crit for food.