Why does "an universe" sound so wrong?

Question

I just ran across the phrase "an universe where" in a book, and my mind is telling me that it should be "a universe where." It just sounds wrong.

But... you're supposed to put "a" when the next word starts with a consonant, and "an" where the next word starts with a vowel. U is definitely a vowel. So why does this phrase sound so wrong?

Because an only goes before vowels, and universe starts with the consonant /y/, so it should be a. Real language rules, like the alternation between a and an, refer to Sounds, not spelling. U is only a vowel in spelling. — John Lawler, Nov 05 '21 at 19:14
Does this answer your question? When should I use "a" vs "an"? — Laurel, Nov 05 '21 at 19:20
Some Welsh people might very well say 'an ooniverse' because that regional dialect can ignore the initial 'y' sound of 'u'. — Michael Harvey, Nov 05 '21 at 21:50

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 05 '21 at 19:15

1

Although we are often taught that it is vowels and consonants that govern the ‘a’ or ‘an’ rule, it is actually the sound itself. That is, vowel sounds are preceded by 'an' and consonant sounds by ‘a’. In this case universe has a consonant (Y) sound.

answered Nov 05 '21 at 19:15

Clare

42

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Hello, Clare. Please help to avoid bloat on the site by checking for obvious duplicates before rushing to answer. In any case, there are cases like 'an historian', 'an hotel' where the issue is not so simple. Again, already well covered. – Edwin Ashworth Nov 05 '21 at 19:30
Vowels and consonants are sounds. Letters don't make sounds. – John Lawler Nov 06 '21 at 17:03

Why does "an universe" sound so wrong?

1 Answers1