When we were in school weren't we all taught that you have to add an "n" before a word that starts with a vowel and "a" before a consonant.
Come to find out you have to add the "n" for a vowel SOUND! What the heck, did I just not listen correctly when I was younger? Oh well, at least I can teach my students the correct rule. Some examples that I thought were exceptions to the rule were:
But these were always correct from the beginning because I didn't know the SOUND was a part of the rule. It is AN hour because hour has a vowel sound in the beginning. It is A unit and A unicorn because the "u" make a -yoo sound.