Sophia, can you help me with my homework? I can't figure out when to put "a" or "an."

I know exactly how to help! Come with me!

Welcome to Grammar Island!

Alex, Grammar Island is the perfect place to learn about indefinite articles!

Yay!!

Welcome, ladies! I am a surfboard on an island. I am here to teach you when to put "a" and when to put "an."

A- before singular, countable nouns that begin with a consonant sound

AN- before singular, countable nouns that begin with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) sound!

For example:

There is a turtle in the water.

Grammar Island has an avocado tree.

If you stay here, you will get a tan.

Have you been on an island before?

Now I get it! Indefinite articles depend on the noun! If the nouns make a consonant sound, I put "a," if it makes a vowel sound, I use "an."

That is an excellent explanation, Alex!

Resource:

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/grammar/articles_a_versus_an.html#:~:text=If%20the%20first%20letter%20makes,words%20that%20begin%20with%20consonants.