Is it 'a usual' or 'an usual'? Why? [duplicate]
Usual (pronounced /ˈjuː.ʒu.əl/ as in you) begins with a consonant sound and, as such, it should be preceded by a not an.
As an aside, I cannot help but point out that the sentence
Today was a usual day
is not usually heard in regular conversation.
Today was an unusual day
is what one might hear, instead!
Indeed, I rarely hear the construction a usual. The definite article is more commonly used, in my experience:
That's the usual thing.
In place of a usual, one would also be more likely to hear not an unusual:
- Today was a usual day / Today was not an unusual day
- This is a usual occurrence / This is not an unusal occurrence or This usually happens
You are right in saying that a usual sounds weird. As speakers, we tend to avoid constructions which, though correct, do not flow easily from the mouth. In sum, the following are valid and commonly used alternatives:
not [an] unusual • the usual • usually
An hour is correct, because hour starts with a vowel sound. People seem to ask most often about words that start with the letters h and u because sometimes these words start with vowel sounds and sometimes they start with consonant sounds. For example, it is a historic monument because historic starts with an h sound, but it is an honorable fellow because honorable starts with an o sound. Similarly, it is a Utopian idea, but an unfair world.
The letters o and m can be tricky too. Usually you put an before words that start with o, but sometimes you use a. For example, you would use a if you were to say, “She has a one-track mind,” because one-track starts with a w sound. Similarly, “She has an MBA, but chooses to work as a missionary.”
Use a before words that start with a consonant sound and an before words that start with a vowel sound. Other letters can also be pronounced either way. Just remember it is the sound that governs whether you use a or an, not the actual first letter of the word.
One complication is when words are pronounced differently in British and American English. For example, the word for a certain kind of plant is pronounced “erb” in American English and “herb” in British English. So the proper form in America is an erb, and the proper form in Britain is a herb. In the rare cases where this is a problem, use the form that will be expected in your country or by the majority of your readers.
- See more at: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/a-versus-an#sthash.TGDxZuJP.dpuf
As Jimi Oke points out, it doesn't matter what letter the word starts with, but what sound it starts with. Since "usual" starts with a 'y' sound, it should take 'a' instead of 'an'.
Also, If you say "today was an usual day", unless your pronunciation is extremely clear, you risk being misunderstood as "today was unusual day", which will only confuse your listeners.
I believe the usage depends on what the word sounds like it starts with. For example, "an homage," since the "h" is not pronounced.
I was going to say that "since 'usual' sounds like it starts with 'y', you'd use 'a' instead of 'an.'" But then - is y a vowel or a consonant? :)