Are there any other words besides "historical" where violation of the "a" before a consonant sound and "an" before a vowel sound rule seems to be acceptable?
I'm an editor by trade, so here goes my best explanation. The indefinite article "a" is used in American English before words that are pronounced with an "h" sound:
a hotel
a historical review
but, words where the "h" is silent, or deviates from the sound of "h", are always led by "an"
an honorable discharge
an heir to the throne
I hope this helps.
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Chris, using the rules you've listed in your comment, wouldn't "historical" always be led by "a", not "an".
"A historical account" sounds correct to me
"An historical account" sounds off
Is Paddy right? Is it "An" for historical?
"An" for historical is incorrect. It should be "a". However, and unfortunately, "an historic" has become accepted usage in the US. If enough people do something wrong...
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What's interesting about the "an" pairing with historical, is that the "h" sound is dropped, so the rule is preserved by changing the word's pronounciation. Peope who use "an" say "an 'istorical". No doubt Professor 'iggins is rolling over in 'is grave.
no authority countenances an history, though a few older ones prefer an historian and an historical.
Today, however, an hypothesis and an historical are likely to strike readers and listeners as affectations.
"As Mark Twain once wrote, referring to humble, heroic, and historical: 'Correct writers of the American language do not put an before those words' (The Stolen White Elephant,1882)."
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Thank you
