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Most speakers want to make a clear distinction between the two words instead of just blurring them together. If you blur them together (as in a hour), you just get the word 'hour' with a strangely long vowel sound. Speakers who say 'an hour' find it easier to continue the vocal/vowel sound (the vocal cords are sounding without a stop) all the way through, and make the stop between words with the consonant sound of the letter 'n'. N makes a more liquid and less jarring stop than the full 'throat' stop (the vocal cords stop sounding for a very small fraction of a second) that is required if you say 'a hour'.
'A hour' has a very immature, even babyish sound to the ear of a standard speaker who says 'an hour'. That is probably because 'a hour' is the way a youngster would say it before picking up the easier, more fluid and more common stop with the 'n' sound.
When we refer to units of time in English, such as "a hour," the correct usage is "an hour" because the pronunciation of "hour" begins with a vowel sound. The rule is to use "an" before words that start with a vowel sound, while "a" is used before words that start with a consonant sound.
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What to say instead of after?
You can say "following" or "subsequent to" instead of "after".
Can you say mines instead of my?
Yes, I can say "mines" instead of "my" if you prefer.
Is it correct to say a year or should it be an year?
It is correct to say "a year" because the word year begins with a consonant sound, even though it starts with a vowel letter. Words starting with a vowel sound, such as "hour" or "honor", would use "an" instead.
Why do you say a hotel and not an hotel?
In English, we use "a" instead of "an" before words that begin with a consonant sound. Even though "hotel" starts with the letter "h," it is pronounced with a consonant sound at the beginning (i.e., /h/ sound), so we say "a hotel" instead of "an hotel."
How do you say one hour in Punjabi?
One hour in Punjabi is said as "ΰ¨ΰ©±ΰ¨ ΰ¨ΰ©°ΰ¨ΰ¨Ύ" (ikk ghanta).
What to say instead of after?
You can say "following" or "subsequent to" instead of "after".
Do Australians read time in thirds of an hour instead of quarters of an hour?
No Australians read the clock in quarters of an Hour.
Can you say mines instead of my?
Yes, I can say "mines" instead of "my" if you prefer.
How do you say 'for about an hour' in French?
i dont know how to say about but hour is< une heure
How do you say cocktail hour in spanish?
To say, 'the cocktail hour', you say, "La hora del cóctel."
Do you say in the rush hour or on the rush hour?
during the rush hour
How do you say the hour in spanish?
"The hour" is "la hora".
How do you say happy hour in hawaiian?
happy hour
Do you say in an hour's time or hour time?
The correct form is in an hour's time.
What is the difference in the 12 hour clock and the 24 hour clock?
The difference between 12 hour clock and a 24 hour clock is that when you say 1:00am for a 12 hour clock you would say 0100 hours
Can you say this we had to write it out in neat if not what can you say?
you cannot say that and I do not know what you say instead
How do you say the time to the half hour?
30 past, or before (the hour)
