The word “an” means the form of "a" used before a word that starts with a vowel sound. In plain terms, just "a" adjusted for pronunciation before vowel sounds.

How do you pronounce “an”?

“An” is pronounced AN ([ˈeən] in IPA).

How do you use “an” in a sentence?

Here is “an” used in a sentence: “She adopted an old dog from the shelter.”

What part of speech is “an”?

“An” is an article.

Where does the word “an” come from?

The word “an” comes from Old English. From Old English an, meaning "one" — the same root that gave us the number "one.".

Is “an” a common word?

“An” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

When should you use "an" instead of "a"?

Use "an" before any word that begins with a vowel sound, regardless of spelling: "an apple," "an hour" (silent h), "an MP" (spoken as "em-pee"). Use "a" before consonant sounds, including vowel letters pronounced with a "y" or "w" sound: "a university," "a one-off." The rule follows sound, not spelling.

Is it "a historic" or "an historic"?

"A historic" is standard in modern English because the "h" in "historic" is pronounced. "An historic" is an older convention still used by some speakers and publications, but most current style guides recommend "a historic," "a hotel," and "a horrific."

Do you use "a" or "an" before abbreviations?

Go by how the abbreviation is spoken aloud. Say "an MBA" and "an FBI agent," because the first letters are pronounced with vowel sounds ("em," "ef"), but "a URL" ("you-ar-el") and "a NATO summit," because those begin with consonant sounds when spoken.

Is it "a herb" or "an herb"?

It depends on pronunciation. In American English the "h" in "herb" is silent, so "an herb" is correct; in British English the "h" is pronounced, making "a herb" the standard choice. The article simply follows whichever pronunciation you use.

Example sentences

Real-world examples showing an in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.

One of the greatest shooters in league history naturally became an elite role player, averaging 10.3 points on 40% shooting from distance.

From Yahoo Sports · Jul 25, 2026

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Vocabulary lists that include an:

Words with old & middle English origins Words that start with A Words that end with N A1 vocabulary words The 100 most common English words The 500 most common English words The 1000 most common English words The 2000 most common English words The 5000 most common English words