User:Sun Creator/A to An

Introduction

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This page covers replacing a with an or A with An and details variations and exceptions to maintain a replace rule using AWB. The choice of "a" or "an" is determined by phonetic rules rather than by spelling convention. Only words starting with vowel sounds have an an before them. For sentence case words these are words starting with the letter 'a','e','i','o' or 'u' and in some case 'h' when it's silent. For abbreviations the sound of the letters with a vowel are A, E, F, H (some cases), I, L, M, N, O, R, T, W and X. In addition, some abbreviations are spoken as words.

Quotes

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  • MOS:QUOTE and {{sic}} both says "Trivial spelling or typographical errors should be silently corrected unless the slip is textually important."

a

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a to change

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a to avoid

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a rule

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[aA](?!\b|2\b|[Aa]A?[AaT]?|bogado|brirse|cademiei|cao|cceptat?a?|cestei|cordo|cquis|ddaswyd|ED|FN|face|fecta|jouté|juns|l(?:do\b|guien\b)|lba\b|lcalde|LL|lma|mbasadei|mérica|MD|[Nn](\b|amnese|[Dd]\b|daluc|G|ihila|ului|tiga)|OA|p(?:agar\b|arecer\b|ostar\b|robat\b)|quest|rder\b|renys\b|rmatei\b|rquitectura|R(S|\$)|rte(\b|lor\b)|s\b|ssouvi|t\b|tahualpa\b|tenuar|thair|tlântida|triz|tteint|U(D|S|\$|\£)|usiàs|ustriei\b|vançar|venida|vut\b|WG|ZN)

e

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e to change

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e to avoid

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e rule

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[eE](?!\b|cologia|dição|dil\b|ditora\b|gipto|GP|la\b|litei\b|llas\b|m(?:a\b|bajadora|boîté|igracja|pezar\b)|n(?:core\sdu|ergia|flamm[eé]|frentar|gagé|gañar|loquecer|se[nñ]ar|tend(erse|u)\b|trada|tra[iî]n[eé]|trar\b|tre(nador|nar)?|voyé)|qui(librista|p[ao])|RN|s(?:as?\b|cada|cala|cola|cuchar|cuela|cultura|curidão|fera|pa[nñń]|paldas|perança)|st(a\b|aciones|ados|ar\b|e\b|é|eban|o\b|os\b|rada|rat[eé][gx]ia|r[eé][il]a|rellar|ruc?tura|udia[nr])|t\b|TB\b|t[eé]\b|terna\b|[Uu]([A-Za-z]{2}|\sde\b)|UI|UR|v(acuar|reilor|rop)|w[abei]|xist[ée](ncia)?|xpansão|xperi[eê]ncia|xpressão|xposição|xtranj)

f

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f to change

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f rule

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F(?:BI/b)

h

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h to changed

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h to avoid

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h possible

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  • a harm Can be either due to possible H-dropping, although from past times.
  • a heat Can be either due to possible H-dropping, although from past times.

h rule

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h(?:aut[besu]|eir|o(?:rs\sd|ur(\b|g|s|ly)))

i

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i to change

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i to avoid

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I rule

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[iI](?!\b|aij|a[șş]i|DR\b|greja|[Ii][Ii]?[Ii]?|l\sraen\b|legal|lha\b|LS|mage[nm]\b|migração|mmagini\b|n(?:\b|ceput|dia[’']?s\b|dicação|dro\b|dúst|és|fluência|formační|glat|icios|nei\b|quisição|stancias|stitucí|sulté|tegra(nte|rse)|teligência|ter(preta|ven)[cç][aã]o|timidade|tra\b|vasão|venté|vestit)|NR\b|QD\b|R£|RR\b|s(\b|chia\b|la\b|te\b)|SK|ts?\b|u(bit\b|bit-o\b|dex\b|dice\b|re\b)|[vxVX]\b|Vth|XC\b|[\b\d])

M

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m to change

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  • 1 a MD (an)
  • 2 a MVP (an)

M rule

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M(?:D\b|VP\b)

O

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o to change

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o to avoid

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O rule

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[oO](?!\b|ax|b(a\b|čan|chodní|ra|tenu|ţi|yv)|c(cidente|ho|hrany|upat)|d\b|de[cč]et\b|este|f\b|ferecer|ggi|hniv|ito\b|kol[íi]e?\b|lot\b|lše\b|lvidarte|mnisciê|MR\b|nda\b|[Nn](\s|[CcçIi][aEe]|[Ee](?!rous|g\b|ga\b|ges|gin|ida|i[lr]))|O\b|opa|péra|perador\b|ra?\b|[Rr](?:\b|a(?:[şsș]ului|z\b)|chestr\b|dem|dinii|fu\b|i\b|illa)|S-9\b|sasuna|scuras|sobnosti|sona|tr[ao]\b|ttobre|u\b|ua[bcdglt]|ued|ui|utro|velha|viedo)

u

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u to change

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u to avoid

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Typically if the u makes the same sound as the y in you

u rule

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u(?!\b|\-|\:|\.|[A-Z0-9]|adim|ah\b|ain\b|b[aiou]|c|č|dev\b|draw\b|e|fo|ga(li|nd)|gx\b|ile\b|in|iro|itat\b|jam|k|lak|lu|ma?\b|mění\b|mria|mrl|n(?:(\s|as?\b|ani|ary|ate\b)|d\b|e(\b|i\b|sco)|o[rs]?\b|s\b|uib?)|ni(?!de|dio|dl|do|gn|ll|mag|mb|mi|mm|mp[aeloru]|nau|nc|nd|neb|nf|ng|nh|nj|nk|nin|nit|nn|noc|nq|ns|nt|nv|rad|rk|ron|rr)|omo|pazilas?|prisin\b|r[aeiolsuy]|s[aeiou]|s(b(net)?|d)\b|s\$|s(hape|tream|ted(es)?\b)|t[aeiou]|tranga|tric|v|yu\b|ž|zs\b)

V

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  • a VIII (eight) classification (an) [1]


X

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x to change

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X rule

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[Xx]-?(?:[Aa]xis/b|[Bb](ox|iz)/b|[Cc]hromosomes?/b|[Mm](as|en)/b|[Rr]a(ted|tings?|ys?)/b|ML/b)


Numbers

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  • a 11-year-old (an eleven) [1]
  • a 11th century discovery (an eleven)
  • a 18th century discovery (an eighteen)
  • a 8-year-old (an eight)
  • a 80-year-old (an eighty)
  • a 81-year-old (an eighty-one)
  • a 82-year-old (an)
  • a 83-year-old (an)
  • a 84-year-old (an)
  • a 85th United States Congress session (an eighty-fifth)
  • a 86-year-old (an)
  • a 87-year-old (an)
  • a 88-year-old (an)
  • a 89th Infantry Division serviceman (an eighty-ninth)
  • a 800 year old (an eighty hundred)
  • a 810 Naval Air Squadron flight (an)

Numbers to avoid

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  • is a 101 year old tortoise (a one hundred and one year old)
  • GL-A 8th (A)
  • Büyükçakır'a 11 Ay Hapis


Boundary

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For some A to An boundary test see /Boundary

Before the a

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Foreign words before to avoid

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  • no change when any of these words occur before a

Words with apostrophes

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Groups and labels before a or A

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Other before

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Before rule

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(?<!\b(?:[Aa](baten|cceso|compañando|cosa|ct|cusa|dherits|di[oó]s|dmisión|dvanced|eroporto|gus|menazan|n\b|ndalucía|nfibio|[Nnñ][Oo]|ns\b|prendiendo|şa|spirante|tacó|tención|ur|usf(\.|ührung)|umenta|utorov|xudar|yúdame|yudar|yudó)|[Bb](attery|arokiem|enefician|ílé|usca(ndo)?)|[CcČ](abellera|alle|amino|antan?\b|arretera|artas?|asar|ategory\:?|e|ensura|entrală|ercano|hama|hlorophyll|hromogranin?|iclista|íny|lass|o\.|om|omienzan|omp(any|osition|ound|ró|rometido)|omunicações|oncerto|onoció|onfirma|ontrat[aoó]|onvocatoria|osta|um|uarto||yclosporine)|[Dd]([aáàâăåeêèé]|alla|e[nst]|edicada|eseó|enuncian|erecho|es(apareceu|pedida|piden)|etienen|evoción|[iîìíòôóuùûú]|igas|ile|irecto|ivision|ojmy|ouble|urante)|[EÉeé](\b|cusa|insatzgruppe|jecutan?|le|lle|mpecé|n|nfrent(a|ará)|nseñ(ame|ó|o)|ntonces|ntre(\b|gó|vista)|s|squivel|st|t|xtradita(do)?|xitos)|[Ff](acilitar|az|emenina|ermato|iammanti|ichó|ormula|rente|usil|u[ií]|utbol)|[Gg](alega|enerală|lorie|olpe|rade|roup|uerra)|[Hh](istorických|omena(je|gem|tge)|ousle)|[iI](\b|l\b|nformații|nna|nte(gran|rpreta|rvista)|ntrodu(cción|zione)|nvita(ción)?|storie|terum)|[Jj](r|ung|unto|unior)|[Kk](lavír|rál|rtek|ultúry|uřátko)|[Ll](abe|e\b|ékaři|ewis|igada|ipid|ist|íderes|iniers|legar[aá]?|legan?|leva(n|sen)|ui|uxe)|[Mm](\.I|anu|as|atar|hic\b|[íi]nima\b|iedo|odel|onte|onumento|oro[șs]anu|ou(lin|nd)|ovid[ao]|ult|usgos)|[Nn](bsp|ei|iegan|ombrar|ônibus|otícia|ous)|[Oo](kina\}\}|cchio|lza|maggio|noare|riente|sob\b|tázky|tec\b|u\b)|[Pp](\.|ara|art|asado|assou?|entru|erò|erpetua|ese|ietro|iù|lan|oint|onte|ro|rólogo|re(ludio|senta)|r[ůu]myslu|ublicat)|[Qq](\sand|uando|ue|ui)|[Rr](apó|ec(ibe|usa)|ecordando|egião|eferencias|ei|etorno|isale|oi|omână|ozšířené)|şi\b|[Ss](\.|abe|alve\b|atisface|é|eason|ecuestran|eine|[eé]r(á|ie|vir)|ic\s?\|?|ide|ingle|ob|obre|ociální|ou|prijin|portivă|tavební|tyky|uma|ubida|ub(-)?unit|uple|upplemento|urt|ustituye)|[Tt](arda|áxi|he|oda|orno|orturan|razendo|ren|ributo|riple|ype)|[Uu](hlie|n[ade])|[Vv](a|ai|ada|amos?|ariant|as|ayas|eche|ence[rn]?|en(da|de|do|ga|go|ta|te)|eta|ez|ě(du?|rný)|iagem|illena|iol(on?cello|u)|itamin|iva|ivace|ojsko|ol(amos|ar|ta|vamos|ver(a|á|é|emos|te)?|v[íi]|viendo)|oy|uel(a|e|ta|to|u|v[aeo]s?)\b)|[Ww]h[aā]nau|[Yy]\b|[ZŽz](eit|ivoty))\W?\s?\s?[aA]\s?\s?\2) (?<!\b(?:[Aa](baten|cceso|compañando|cosa|ct|cusa|dherits|di[oó]s|dmisión|dvanced|eroporto|gus|menazan|n\b|ndalucía|nfibio|[Nnñ][Oo]|ns\b|prendiendo|şa|spirante|tacó|tención|ur|usf(\.|ührung)|umenta|utorov|xudar|yúdame|yudar|yudó)|[Bb](attery|arokiem|enefician|ílé|usca(ndo)?)|[CcČ](abellera|alle|amino|antan?\b|arretera|artas?|asar|ategory\:?|e|ensura|entrală|ercano|hama|hlorophyll|hromogranin?|iclista|íny|lass|o\.|om|omienzan|omp(any|osition|ound|ró|rometido)|omunicações|oncerto|onoció|onfirma|ontrat[aoó]|onvocatoria|osta|um|uarto||yclosporine)|[Dd]([aáàâăåeêèé]|alla|e[nst]|edicada|eseó|enuncian|erecho|es(apareceu|pedida|piden)|etienen|evoción|[iîìíòôóuùûú]|igas|ile|irecto|ivision|ojmy|ouble|urante)|[EÉeé](\b|cusa|insatzgruppe|jecutan?|le|lle|mpecé|n|nfrent(a|ará)|nseñ(ame|ó|o)|ntonces|ntre(\b|gó|vista)|s|squivel|st|t|xtradita(do)?|xitos)|[Ff](acilitar|az|emenina|ermato|iammanti|ichó|ormula|rente|usil|u[ií]|utbol)|[Gg](alega|enerală|lorie|olpe|rade|roup|uerra)|[Hh](istorických|omena(je|gem|tge)|ousle)|[iI](\b|l\b|nformații|nna|nte(gran|rpreta|rvista)|ntrodu(cción|zione)|nvita(ción)?|storie|terum)|[Jj](r|ung|unto|unior)|[Kk](lavír|rál|rtek|ultúry|uřátko)|[Ll](abe|e\b|ékaři|ewis|igada|ipid|ist|íderes|iniers|legar[aá]?|legan?|leva(n|sen)|ui|uxe)|[Mm](\.I|anu|as|atar|hic\b|[íi]nima\b|iedo|odel|onte|onumento|oro[șs]anu|ou(lin|nd)|ovid[ao]|ult|usgos)|[Nn](bsp|ei|iegan|ombrar|ônibus|otícia|ous)|[Oo](kina\}\}|cchio|lza|maggio|noare|riente|sob\b|tázky|tec\b|u\b)|[Pp](\.|ara|art|asado|assou?|entru|erò|erpetua|ese|ietro|iù|lan|oint|onte|ro|rólogo|re(ludio|senta)|r[ůu]myslu|ublicat)|[Qq](\sand|uando|ue|ui)|[Rr](apó|ec(ibe|usa)|ecordando|egião|eferencias|ei|etorno|isale|oi|omână|ozšířené)|şi\b|[Ss](\.|abe|alve\b|atisface|é|eason|ecuestran|eine|[eé]r(á|ie|vir)|ic\s?\|?|ide|ingle|ob|obre|ociální|ou|prijin|portivă|tavební|tyky|uma|ubida|ub(-)?unit|uple|upplemento|urt|ustituye)|[Tt](arda|áxi|he|oda|orno|orturan|razendo|ren|ributo|riple|ype)|[Uu](hlie|n[ade])|[Vv](a|ai|ada|amos?|ariant|as|ayas|eche|ence[rn]?|en(da|de|do|ga|go|ta|te)|eta|ez|ě(du?|rný)|iagem|illena|iol(on?cello|u)|itamin|iva|ivace|ojsko|ol(amos|ar|ta|vamos|ver(a|á|é|emos|te)?|v[íi]|viendo)|oy|uel(a|e|ta|to|u|v[aeo]s?)\b)|[Ww]h[aā]nau|[Yy]\b|[ZŽz](eit|ivoty))\W?\s?\s?[aA]\s?\s?\2)

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Currencies

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Resolved foreign language text

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Replace rule

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See also

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References

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