a vs an :

a or an

If the word following begins with a vowel sound, the word you want is “an”:“Have an apple, Adam.” If the word following begins with a consonant,but begins with a vowel sound, you still need “an”: “An X-ray will showwhether there's a worm in it.” It is nonstandard and often consideredsloppy speech to utter an “uh” sound in such cases.The same rule applies to initialisms like “NGO” (for “non-governmental organization”). Because the letter N is pronounced “en,” it’s “an NGO” but when the phrase is spoken instead of the abbreviation, it’s “a non-governmental organization.” When the following word definitely begins with a consonant sound, youneed “a”: “A snake told me apples enhance mental abilities.”Note that the letter Y can be either a vowel or a consonant. Although it is sounded as a vowel in words like “pretty,” at the beginning of words it is usually sounded as a consonant, as in “a yolk.”Words beginning with the letter U which start with a Y consonant sound like “university” and “utensil” also take an “a”:

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Definitions
  a
  • n  a metric unit of length equal to one ten billionth of a meter (or 0.0001 micron); used to specify wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation
  • n  any of several fat-soluble vitamins essential for normal vision; prevents night blindness or inflammation or dryness of the eyes
  • n  one of the four nucleotides used in building DNA; all four nucleotides have a common phosphate group and a sugar (ribose)
  • n  (biochemistry) purine base found in DNA and RNA; pairs with thymine in DNA and with uracil in RNA
  • n  the basic unit of electric current adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
    a typical household circuit carries 15 to 50 amps
  • n  the 1st letter of the Roman alphabet
  • n  the blood group whose red cells carry the A antigen
  an
  • n  an associate degree in nursing
News & Articles
  a
  • A look at Iran's voters and election process
    A look at Iran's voters, presidents and election procedures:
    June 13, 2013 - Associated Press via Yahoo! News
  • ‘Pieta’: a bone-breaking, gut-wrenching Korean drama
    A movie review of “Pieta,” Kim Ki-duk’s occasionally stomach-churning tale of a loan shark’s brutal enforcer who encounters a woman claiming to be the long-lost mother who’d abandoned him as an infant.
    June 13, 2013 - Seattle Times
  • A glance at the history of Nicaragua canal plans
    For hundreds of years, explorers and governments have dreamed of a waterway linking the Atlantic and Pacific. Proposed routes have ranged from Mexico to Colombia, but many have focused on Nicaragua. A few key moments:
    June 13, 2013 - Seattle Times
  an
  • What Sets an Elite Changeup Apart from the Rest of the Pack?
    A good changeup is a good thing for a pitcher to have, but you know what's even better than a good changeup? An elite changeup. That's what. A pitcher can build a career on one of those, and there are a few who can tell you all about it. But what exactly sets an elite changeup apart from, you know, a regular old changeup? What makes elite changeups so darn special? If you watch enough baseball ...
    June 22, 2013 - Bleacher Report
  • What are the white things that hang off an egg yolk?
    What are the white things that hang off an egg yolk? A friend claims it is chicken sperm and another says they are tiny chicken embryos. Are either of them right?        
    June 22, 2013 - Boston Globe
  • Honor flight an emotional experience for WWII vet
    It's a long trip from Arnold Luoma's white stucco Baxter home to the historic monuments of Washington, D.C., - a journey that could be daunting for anyone, much less an 89-year-old World War II vet.
    June 22, 2013 - Brainerd Dispatch