• 2-minute read
• 24th September 2023

“A Historic” or “An Historic”

There’s a very simple rule for whether to use “a historic” or “an historic”: It’s always “a historic.”

Let’s take a look at why – after all, understanding rules makes them much easier to remember!

The Indefinite Article: A and An

When we use nouns (naming words), we often use “the,” “a,” or “an” with them. “The,” “a,” and “an” are known in grammar as articles.

“The“ is known as a definite article and is used to specify a particular noun. For example,

Here, we’ve specified one particular car.

This time, the reader won’t know which particular car we’re talking about.

How to Decide Whether to Use “A” or “An”

This all depends on how we pronounce the word immediately following “a” or “an.”

If the next word starts with a hard sound (usually a consonant), we use “a.”

If the next word starts with a soft sound (usually a vowel), we use “an.”

Often, there are adjectives between an article and a noun, so we always focus on the word immediately following the article.

The Special Case of “H”

In some words that start with the letter “h,” we can hear the “h” sound, for example, historic, hotel, hat, and hard. In these, and all other words that begin with an audible “h,” we use “a.”

But in others, we can’t hear the “h” sound, for example, honest, hour, heir, and honor. In these, and all other words that start with a silent “h,” we use “an.”

One word starting with “h” to be wary of is “herb.” In British English, the “h” is sounded, but in American English, it’s silent.

Summary

●  The rule for “a historic” or “an historic” is: It’s always “a historic.”

●  Focus on the word immediately following the indefinite article (“a” or “an”). If it starts with a hard sound, usually a consonant, use “a.” If it starts with a soft sound, usually a vowel or a silent “h,” use “an.”

●  Learning English can be tricky. If you’d like our experts to check that you’ve used “historic,” “a,” or “an” correctly in your writing, get in touch!