A HDMI or An HDMI cable?

The correct pronunciation of the letter 'h' is 'aytch'.

In this case 'an HDMI cable' is preferable to 'a HDMI cable'.

The usage of an/a with historic seems a little more arbitrary - I've seen both used with equal regularity. It might be to do with the pronunciation of 'historic', with the 'i' sound being stressed.
 
shoot1st said:
It depends where you come from; I think that both are right.
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The correct pronunciation in British and American English is aitch. But in Hiberno English it is haitch. Hence in Northern Ireland it can be used as a shebbolith. Some regional dialects will also pronounce it as haitch, but they are varients from the standard pronunciation. It doesn't necessarily make it wrong but it does make it incorrect.

How much it bothers you is personal.
 
It took 95 posts before someone came out with "who cares?", which I was expecting at the start of the thread, along with "as long as you know what I mean, it doesn't matter."


Grammar: (Taken from Oxford dictionaries.)

Which is correct: 'a hotel' or 'an hotel', 'a historian' or 'an historian'? And why is it 'a European' not 'an European'?


The form an for the indefinite article is used before a spoken vowel sound, regardless of how the written word is spelt. If you say 'an otel' when speaking (which is now often regarded as distinctly old-fashioned), then it may be appropriate for you to write 'an hotel'; but most people say 'hotel' with a sounded 'h', and should write 'a hotel'.

By contrast, words such as 'honour', 'heir' or 'hour' in which the 'h' sound is dropped are written with 'an'. Americans who drop the 'h' in 'herb' may also prefer to write 'an herb', but in standard British pronunciation the 'h' is sounded, and 'a herb' is therefore correct in writing. Because 'European' is said with an initial 'y' sound, which counts as a consonantal sound in English speech, it is said (and written) with 'a' not 'an'. An abbreviation such as M.P., which is pronounced em pea, begins with a spoken vowel, and so it is 'an M.P.'





Glad we cleared that up. ;)
 
singist said:
It took 95 posts before someone came out with "who cares?", which I was expecting at the start of the thread, along with "as long as you know what I mean, it doesn't matter."


Grammar: (Taken from Oxford dictionaries.)

Which is correct: 'a hotel' or 'an hotel', 'a historian' or 'an historian'? And why is it 'a European' not 'an European'?


The form an for the indefinite article is used before a spoken vowel sound, regardless of how the written word is spelt. If you say 'an otel' when speaking (which is now often regarded as distinctly old-fashioned), then it may be appropriate for you to write 'an hotel'; but most people say 'hotel' with a sounded 'h', and should write 'a hotel'.

By contrast, words such as 'honour', 'heir' or 'hour' in which the 'h' sound is dropped are written with 'an'. Americans who drop the 'h' in 'herb' may also prefer to write 'an herb', but in standard British pronunciation the 'h' is sounded, and 'a herb' is therefore correct in writing. Because 'European' is said with an initial 'y' sound, which counts as a consonantal sound in English speech, it is said (and written) with 'a' not 'an'. An abbreviation such as M.P., which is pronounced em pea, begins with a spoken vowel, and so it is 'an M.P.'





Glad we cleared that up. ;)
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So like i said, it's pretty much moot, this A or AN busniness, since you can defend/argue using reasons of Accent.

Then what is the point of any one of them in the first place ?
 
NathanE said:
Unfortunately these very basic "phonetics" are picked up or taught at such an early age that there's little one can do when they're older improve their own speech.

I know "haych" is wrong. I remember being told it was wrong when I was like 10. But even by then it was too late to correct.
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100% agree. Those caring enough to correct their spoken grammar on such a minor thing as a Haych/an aych need to find better things to do with their time. Not get heated up on a forum about the issue.

If written, then fine, use the correct grammar. When used verbally, each to their own. If someone stopped me mid sentance and tried to correct me, they would be asking for a plastering!
 
Some of you lot are laughable.

I say haytch, this means I will say a HDMI cable.

Why are you writing like I should go and "re-learn". You say it is wrong, good for you. Whats the bet in your day to day speech you make minor mistakes like this rather frequently?

"I was taught English properly"..... what an uparsery comment to make.
 
paradigm said:
Yes, but then I was taught it correctly.

Seems the majority of the forum weren't.
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Really? Then why did you use 'were' when commenting on the forum (a singular noun)?

Go and look up a style guide or two. Perhaps write a bit of journalism; maybe about football or live music. Then see what they say about referring to individual entities with more than one member.
 
H is properly pronounced ay-ch
If you aren't capable of of pronouncing it correctly, then teach yourself. I had to teach myself as my mother brought me up speaking like a fool.
 
wtf do they teach kids in schools...


Feek is clearly correct. Anyone who thinks different needs to go back to primary school I think.
 
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