Comments on: “A Historic” or “An Historic” Event?

By: Gavin

Gavin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:28:40 +0000

The difference is how the syllable with the stress is prioritized. I use “an historic” because the syllable with the ‘h’ has tertiary stress, while I would say “a history” because this syllable has secondary stress here.
Also, the point that “ahistoric” is an antonym of “historic” makes for less confusion by using “an historic.”

By: MD

MD — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:31:36 +0000

If you don’t aspirate the H and say ‘it was an ‘istoric event’, do you also drop it at other times? For example: ‘That event was ‘istoric’?

By: John

John — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 21:55:54 +0000

Alex, I am totally with you. However, I can’t resist but comment on the irony of your use of the incorrect form of “their/there/they’re” in the last paragraph. I am sure that it was a heated omission, but funny none the less!

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 22:54:06 +0000

I have two theories regarding the misuse of “an historic”:

1) People are making a connection between “an” and “event ” in the phrase “an historical event”. They probably think that the connection between “an” and “event” is more important since “historical” is only modifying the noun.
But this is incorrect since the logic behind using “an” over “a” is to dissolve back-to-back vowel sounds (when spoken). So “an hour” makes sense not because “hour” is a noun, but because the “h” is not pronounced.

2) People assume that because we use “an hour”, they can apply it willy nilly to whatever “h” words come their way.

In either case, and from what little research I’ve done, contemporary views support the rule that “an” is only used to break up back-to-back vowel sounds. So when people use “an historical” on NPR, it’s because their snooty.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:12:46 +0000

According to the Oxford American Dictionary,

“The distinction between a and an was not solidified until the nineteenth century. Up to that time, an preceded most words beginning with a vowel, regardless of how the first syllable sounded. The U.S. Constitution, for example, reads: “The Congress shall have Power . . . [t]o establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization.” But that is no excuse for a twenty-first-century writer.
People worry about whether the correct article is a or an with historian, historic, and a few other words. Most authorities have supported a over an. The traditional rule is that if the h- is sounded, then a is the proper form. So people who aspirate their h ’s and follow that rule would say a historian and a historic. This is not a new “rule.” Even the venerated language authority H. W. Fowler, in the England of 1926, advocated a before historic, historical, and humble.”

(Under the word “an” in the USAGE section)