which of these phrases is correct grammatically? "A honest man" or "AN honest man". Those of you wey know the answer and know WHY please help explain to us abeg

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An honest man.

An honest man is correct.


The use of a/an is phonetically (means of sound,the first sound) determined and not orthographically(by spelling/writing) determined.
Transcription of Honest starts with ")" the "awe" sound,which is a vowel sound,so "an" is suitable for honest.
#Something I learnt in Oau predegree

MisterDreamz:
An honest man is correct.


The use of a/an is phonetically (means of sound,the first sound) determined and not orthographically(by spelling/writing) determined.
Transcription of Honest starts with "" the "awe" sound,which is a vowel sound,so "an" is suitable for honest.
#Something I learnt in Oau predegree

*slow clap*

A' is correct. The only 'h' words(n) that proceed 'An' is 'hour', 'hair' and 'heir'. When two or more vowels go side by side, prefixed by 'h' letter, and suffixed by a constant letter, the 'an' article is used. The spoken phrase 'a honest man' actually sounds like 'an honest man', thus quite a lot of people assume the right indefinite article is 'an'. But it's not.

The correct phrase, in my opinion, is 'a honest man

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placeofallure:




Very wrong sir! The use of indefinite articles: "a" and "an" is informed by a number of reasons.

1. We use "a" for words which begin with consonants like: a car, a bottle, a pen etc

We also use "a" for vowels which sound like consonant E.g. a university, a union, a European etc


2. We use "an" for words which begin with vowels. E.g an aeroplane, an orange, an egg etc

We also use "an" for consonant words which have the vowel sounds, particularly the silent "h" and we have just 3 words that fall into this category. E.g. an honest man, an hour and an honour. Every other "h" is sounded hence we have uses as: a hospital, a house, a hunter etc.

Swtie, u totally misconstrued my post. I said the 'an' article is used for three 'h' words(n), hour, hair, and heir. Since it's hard transcribing words, it's going to be difficult to transcribe 'h' words without the use of a dictionary, in order to get the actual sound. An easier way is going by a rule. Whenever two or more vowel letters go side by side, prefixed by 'H', and suffixed by 'any consonant', the 'an' article is used. Other 'H' words(n), the 'a' article is used.

A honest man(though wrong pronunciation and sound similarity have made so many assume it's 'an honest man').

A house
A horse
A hose
A hill
A horn
A humor
A honest man( sounds like 'an honest man')
An hour
An heir,
An hair strand
Etc...

The correct answer is ... 'An honest man'
Reason...The use of 'an' comes up when d next word after 'an' starts with a vowel. However, the case of the word 'honest' is an exception because phonetically in english,the word honest is pronounced as 'onest'. The H is silent technically making a vowel the it's first letter in terms of pronunciation.
Note: but the H must be there when written.

Another example is 'HEIR', the H is silent when pronounced, and becos d next letter after H is a vowel, the appropriate one to use shld be 'an' dats based on my earlier explanation.

uhalauju:
The correct answer is ... 'An honest man'
Reason...The use of 'an' comes up when d next word after 'an' starts with a vowel. However, the case of the word 'honest' is an exception because phonetically in english,the word honest is pronounced as 'onest'. The H is silent technically making a vowel the it's first letter in terms of pronunciation.
Note: but the H must be there when written.

Another example is 'HEIR', the H is silent when pronounced, and becos d next letter after H is a vowel, the appropriate one to use shld be 'an' dats based on my earlier explanation.

what about house. A house

You can deploy any depending on your mood and social milieu.

GrAnDwEeZ:
what about house. A house

u r ryt. dats cos d H in house isn't silent wen pronounced. check my earlier analysis.

uhalauju:

u r ryt. dats cos d H in house isn't silent wen pronounced. check my earlier analysis.

..... What about Hoe... A hoe

only yoruba people will fail this...yet the claim the are intelligent
even their professors back then in school make same mistake..yet they claim they are intelligent
AN HONEST MAN IS THE CORRECT ANSWER!

i learnt this in senior primary school days..no jokes

GrAnDwEeZ:
what about house. A house

The 'H' in house is not silent.

But the 'H' in honest is silent.

So it is 'A house' yet also, 'An honest man'

matrix199:
A' is correct. The only 'h' words(n) that proceed 'An' is 'hour', 'hair' and 'heir'. When two or more vowels go side by side, prefixed by 'h' letter, and suffixed by a constant letter, the 'an' article is used. The spoken phrase 'a honest man' actually sounds like 'an honest', thus quite a lot of people assume the right indefinite article is 'an'. But it's not.

The correct phrase, in my opinion, is 'a honest man'

you r right, "an" sounds fashonable, but "a" is the correct one

HARDBOI:
only yoruba people will fail this...yet the claim the are intelligent
even their professors back then in school make same mistake..yet they claim they are intelligent
AN HONEST MAN IS THE CORRECT ANSWER!

i learnt this in senior primary school days..no jokes

not all Yorubas have h-factor.
moreover, h-factor has got nothing to do with intelligence

I think the debate here is the presence of the "H" what proof do we have that it is silent or not. Those of una wey sabi transcribe oya carry your dictionary and teach us

The correct option is "An honest man " õ-nist

I can see Yoruba peeps with them"H" factor, have brought confusion to English

orogodoganyin:


not all Yorubas have h-factor.
moreover, h-factor has got nothing to do with intelligence

who told u it has nothing to do will intelligence?
if u are intelligent enuff u should know a wrong grammar when u hear one.

besides all yorubas i'v met have H-FACTOR issues... i aint hating
they add H where it is not..
and remove it where it is

Both are correct.

HARDBOI:


who told u it has nothing to do will intelligence?
if u are intelligent enuff u should know a wrong grammar when u hear one.

besides all yorubas i'v met have H-FACTOR issues... i aint hating
they add H where it is not..
and remove it where it is

You are so dumb, I'm Yoruba and I don't have H-factor. Although I cannot pronounce the letter R, no matter how hard I try, but that has nothing to do with my intelligence, because sounds come from within, but in ur daftness, you forgot Yorubas are Yorubas and in Yoruba language there's no letter H, what if the white man cannot pronounce the letter GB as it is in Yoruba, does that make him less intelligent?

I use "an" it's sounds complete with the an

wasak:

You are so dumb, I'm Yoruba and I don't have H-factor. Although I cannot pronounce the letter R, no matter how hard I try, but that has nothing to do with my intelligence, because sounds come from within, but in ur daftness, you forgot Yorubas are Yorubas and in Yoruba language there's no letter H, what if the white man cannot pronounce the letter GB as it is in Yoruba, does that make him less intelligent?

u are the dumbest foool here..Look at what u sayin.
so bcoz yorubas dont have 'H' in their language u dont know where to put A or AN? ..lmao
then why did u go school if u cant correct ur wrong...
how to use CONSONANT AND VOWEL sound is first taught in primary school
it means the years u spent in school were waste...MOFO

HARDBOI:


u are the dumbest foool here..Look at what u sayin.
so bcoz yorubas dont have 'H' in their language u dont know where to put A or AN? ..lmao
then why did u go school if u cant correct ur wrong...
how to use CONSONANT AND VOWEL sound is first taught in primary school
it means the years u spent in school were waste...MOFO

I won't allow you drag me to ur level. Have a nice day

wasak:

I won't allow you drag me to ur level. Have a nice day

.

my level?.. how
i was just being plain until u started insulting me..

MisterDreamz:
An honest man is correct.


The use of a/an is phonetically (means of sound,the first sound) determined and not orthographically(by spelling/writing) determined.
Transcription of Honest starts with "" the "awe" sound,which is a vowel sound,so "an" is suitable for honest.
#Something I learnt in Oau predegree

so you mean "an house" is correct?

GrAnDwEeZ:
what about house. A house

U r ryt my dear friend.
The rule isn't absolute. The simple logic to use is dis: where d pronunciation of H is silent, u use 'an' but where it is not silent, u use 'a'.

Hydriss:
so you mean "an house" is correct?

The "H" in house is not silent so you cant have "an house" like in honest where the h is silent

Its an honest man

HARDBOI:
only yoruba people will fail this...yet the claim the are intelligent
even their professors back then in school make same mistake..yet they claim they are intelligent
AN HONEST MAN IS THE CORRECT ANSWER!

i learnt this in senior primary school days..no jokes

Why introduce a tribal slur into this?
It's not a joking matter bro and I have reported your comment.