A historic or an historic

I've noticed an increasing tendency for people in England to talk about an historic day as opposed to a historic one.

But it feels alien for me to say "an historic", perhaps due to the fact that the letter h is heavily pronounced in the Scottish accent, whereas Cockneys who drop their aitches will feel more comfortable with "an 'istoric day" as it flows easier.

I've noticed this same thing, especially in journalistic writing. This has been a pet peeve of mine for some time. I've never thought of this in terms of accent, however. Yet, as I cannot think of an American accent that drops the “h” before history (I speak GA) I do not see why some American journalists would adopt the “an” before history.

Because they think if a Brit does it, it must be right. But since we pronounce the H, there's really no reason to use "an" in front of it, any more than we would say an house or an ham sandwich. It's just a misplaced attempt to look "smart".

I think "an historical..." sounds better, yet I would never say "an hill." Hmm...

Uriel, you truly are a sad delusional old hag arent you?
Why dont you go back to seeking out ethnic minorities for one night stands?

<<Because they think if a Brit does it, it must be right. But since we pronounce the H, there's really no reason to use "an" in front of it, any more than we would say an house or an ham sandwich. It's just a misplaced attempt to look "smart". >>



Why "misplaced attempt"? If people think that the British way looks smarter, then it actually does look smarter.

Your argument is suddenly dust.

<Because they think if a Brit does it, it must be right. But since we pronounce the H, there's really no reason to use "an" in front of it, any more than we would say an house or an ham sandwich. It's just a misplaced attempt to look "smart". >

You'll find "an" before an unstressed syllable that begins with h in many or most texts before about 1800. This has remained an option (but a minority usage) even in words where we currently pronounce the h, like "historical".

Probably some people use "an" to "look smart", but others do it because they grew up among people who said "an historical".

Which rolls off the tongue more easily - "an historic day in the life of Britain? or "a historic day in the life of Britain?

Or "we stayed at an hotel in Helensburgh" or "we stayed at a hotel in Helensburgh".

Remember to aspirate "h" at all times, without dropping it as they do in 'Ammersmith and 'Ackney" as a matter of course.

Most of the time "an" is used in the above examples, and similar, simply because it takes less effort to vocalise and seems more "correct" even though the letter "h" is not regarded as a vowel when it is the initial letter of a word.

So why don't we say an horse?

As a Brit who says his haitches, I never use "an" before an aspirated "h".

Actually I tend to think it sounds antiquated or, more often, pretentious to use "an" before an aspirated h. It's a fad amongst newsreaders to do so, mindlessly following whisperings about "what is correct", feeling better about themselves for it and sounding ridiculous in the process.

What is correct, of course, is what normal people say day to day, which is neither "an historic" nor "an hysterectomy" not "an hippopotamus" nor "an hysterical comedy".

<What is correct, of course, is what normal people say day to day>

And what normal people say day to day tends to vary.

To call this usage "pretentious" is to engage in the same fallacy as those who promote "an historical" in the belief that it is "more correct".

Do we put an ''h'' in history or a ''h''??

I say this is one of the few times in English where what is 'proper' may actually be up to the speaker. I pronounce the /h/ so I would write "a historical."

<Do we put an ''h'' in history or a ''h''?? >

"An" only precedes a silent or an unstressed H; and the "an" before an unstressed H is optional.

<< Because they think if a Brit does it, it must be right. But since we pronounce the H, there's really no reason to use "an" in front of it, any more than we would say an house or an ham sandwich. It's just a misplaced attempt to look "smart". >>

I can assure you that it's very rare not to pronounce the initial 'h' here in the UK. As Damian said, that feature tends to be just a characteristic of some London accents.

It annoys me when I see people write 'an historic'. The 'h' sound is aspirated clearly, therefore it should be 'a historic'.

May I remind you that it is you, not we, who drop the 'h' in 'herb'...