I'm only vaguely familiar with the rule regarding "a" vs. "an". To my knowledge, it is only objects starting with a vowel that receive an "an" (e.g. an orange). If this is the rule, then I guess I can let it go, but it always bothers me to hear phrases such as "I bought a HDTV." The aytch sound starts with a vowel, worse yet an a, and makes the speaker sound uneducated (to me). Am I wrong here?
In the states, we are sometimes (I believe incorrectly) taught that anytime something starts with an H, you are to say an. I don't know why. It would be an honor is clearly correct. I saw an hologram is clearly not. Or is it the other way around? I don't even know, I just say what sounds right, because I thought that was the way you were supposed to do it.
Silent "H" = "an" Hard "H" = "a" "Honor" is pronounced on or and thus gets an "an" in front of it. "Hologram" is pronounced hoe low gram and gets an "a". Or, it's American english and shouldn't be examined too closely, else you may go mad.
Another good example, but still falls in line with my thinking- if it starts with a vowel sound, not just a vowel, it gets the "an" treatment. Honor sounds like onner. Hologram sounds like.... well, like its spelled. ..... Then there is Y to consider. A yard, not an yard. Still though, Y can be both and it sounds like a soft J which is a consonant.
It's a holdover from Norman French. The most common words -- such as hospital and hotel -- are of French derivation and are spoken with a vowel sound in French.
Unvoiced h (hour, honor, etc.) gets an "an." Voiced h (hold-up, hangar, etc.) get an "a." Some exceptions might apply. I do say "an historical event," but maybe it should be "a historical event." You wouldn't say "I bludgeoned an hippie," would you?
In these kinds of situations, just do what you think sounds best and arrogantly defend it as the only correct way.
My personal rule concerning this issue is this: if you are in a situation where you're unsure whether you should use "a" or "an", use the one that is easiest to pronounce.
