Language question

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Hi there,



I know this has nothing to do with IT or computers, but with this international community I might as well get a correct answer here.

I allways learned that the partikle for a verb starting with a vowel (a, e, i, o and u) should be an. An antilope, an egg and so on. Now I read in a book 'a user' where I would expect 'an user'. For some reason 'an user' does not sound that good, but hey, spoken and written language can be different.



What would be correct?

 

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I would have said that 'an user' would be correct - but then I'm old-fashioned!

Harry.

 

Hm - after a quick search I came accross this which seems to disagree with me! (Won't be the first time!)

Edit: But consider this.

Just goes to show that this isn't cut-and-dried!

Harry.

 

Makes sence. Thank you.

 

I would say 'a user'.

So for example 'a user switched on his monitor.'

 

An other example could be a one-eyed pirate. Correct?

 

Yes you are correct.

I was looking on the web and apparently writing 'an user' used to be the correct way but due to people writing words to how they would speak became more common they changed it to 'a' instead 'an'.

 

I agree: posh people would say "a hotel" whereas up north it would be "an 'otel" but the really pedantic would say "an hotel"