The two indefinite articles in English are a and an. The indefinite article an is used to make pronunciation easier when reading a text aloud. The general rule is to use a when the indefinite article precedes a word beginning with a consonant sound and an when it precedes a word starting with a vowel sound.
Use AN when the indefinite article comes before a word beginning with a vowel sound.
an ice cream
an apple
Use A when the indefinite article comes before a word beginning with a consonant sound.
Example
a house
a book
Exceptions
It’s important to note that not all nouns that begin with a consonant begin with the consonant sound. Always trust the sound, not the letter when applying the a vs. an rule. Remember, it’s about pronunciation. Consider the examples below:
