It's "A". . ."A!" Not "AN!"

[Antipsych]

I can't stand it when the media morons stubbornly insist on saying "an historic" instead of the proper "a historic," no matter how many times it's pointed out to them that they're using improper grammar. The first letter of the word "historic" is pronounced with a hard H sound, it's not silent. So you have no damned excuse. Say it correctly! You most likely have a degree in English and/or Journalism, don't you? You did graduate, right? So put your knowledge to good use! You're setting a bad example for the public!

[Pedersen]

http://www.sharbean.ca/main/template.php?EntryID=719

For starters. To summarize: Both versions can be correct.

Also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America...sh_differences

Again, both versions can be correct.

Personal preference is that when I'm speaking, I will use "an historic", since "a historic" just doesn't flow right for me. And no, I'm not British.

[Greenday]

I was taught to use "a" before a hard consonant and "an" before a vowel or soft consonant.

A historic
An herb
A log

If it actually sounds like a vowel, "an" goes in front.
If it doesn't sound like a vowel, "a" goes in front.

[Slytovhand]

I agree totally, GD... but there are ppl who will say "an 'istoric"... so to them it fits.

Also to them - learn to pronounce your H's!

[Boozy]

Brits and Canadians (as far as I know) are unlikely to pronounce the "H" at all in words like "historic" and "herb". I have always used "an" preceding these words.

[Rapscallion]

Brits and Canadians (as far as I know) are unlikely to pronounce the "H" at all in words like "historic" and "herb".

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9IzDbNFDdP4 about fifty seconds in.

Rapscallion

[Slytovhand]

Hey?????

[AdminAssistant]

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9IzDbNFDdP4 about fifty seconds in.

The encore is my favorite part of Dress to Kill.

Now, in the Cockney dialect all h's are dropped ('enry 'iggins), but I have a sneaking suspicion there aren't too many people walking around London talking like that.

[Devilboy]

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/anhistoric.html

Taken from the book, Common Errors in English.

[Antipsych]

0k, you Brits (at least those who speak Cockney), Aussies and Canadians are off the hook. Also those who speak American English and drop the H, although I still think it's wrong. I never wanted to sound like an English Nazi (is that an oxymoron?).

As far as "herb," I was always taught that the H is silent. Like the L in "salmon." *Running from newly opened can of worms*

[ArcticChicken]

I tend to subvocalize the "h" in "historic", so when I speak it is more fluid for me to say "an historic" than it is for me to say "a historic", and as the entire purpose of having those two words for the same exact thing is so that I don't have to stop in the middle of a sentence after swallowing my tongue, "an historic" is a perfectly valid grammatical construction.