By DeAnna Cameron //
Sometimes the littlest things can trip us up when it comes to self-editing. Take the articles “a” and “an” for instance.
We all know “a” precedes a word that begins with a consonant and “an” precedes a word that begins with a vowel, right?
Wrong.
The true test, according to the Chicago Manual of Style, is not whether the word begins with a vowel or a consonant, but whether the word sounds like it begins with a vowel or consonant, with all “y,” “h,” and “w” sounds falling into the consonant category.
For example, the word eulogy starts with a vowel but has a “y” sound. That means one should give a eulogy not an eulogy.
The sound issue can be especially tricky when applied to words that begin with “h.” Check out these examples:
She spoke for an hour.
He was a history professor.
Hour and history both begin with “h,” but the standard pronunciations of those words alter the letter’s sound, and that makes all the difference.
So, when you’re self-editing, be sure you’re taking the sound of your words into consideration, so you don’t fall into one of these a/an traps.
DEANNA CAMERON is the founder and managing director of O.C. Writers. She’s also an award-winning hybrid author currently writing YA dark fantasy as D.D. Croix and an occasional copy editor who’s never met an Oxford comma she didn’t like. Learn more at www.DDCroix.com.