Articles: a / an

Use "a" before a singular noun that starts with a consonant sound:

1. He wants to buy a car.
2. I need a pen to write this down.
3. She ordered a sandwich for lunch.
4. I saw a boy running in the park.
5. We need a hammer to fix the shelf.
6. I want to eat a hamburger.
7. A hungry dog will eat anything.

Use "an" before a singular noun that starts with a vowel sound:

1. She has an umbrella for the rainy days.
2. He is an actor in the new movie.
3. An elephant is a big animal.
4. I had an idea for the project.
5. She wore an orange dress to the party.
6. An herbivore is an animal that only eats plants.
7. Can you wait for me for an hour?
8. An honest person always tells the truth.

Remember that sometimes the first letter of a word may be a vowel, but the sound it makes is a consonant sound. In that case, we use "a" instead of "an":

1. A knife is a useful tool for cooking.
2. ¿Do you live in a European coutry?
3. She is a university professor.
4. A unicorn is a mythical creature.