I am anxious to ask the opinion
of Dr. K., and others of your subscribers, on another point in the
English language, namely, the principles which should guide our use of
"A" or "An" before a word beginning with a vowel, as the practice does
not appear to be uniform in this respect. The {351} minister of my
parish invariably says in his sermon, "Such an one," which, I confess,
to my ear is grating enough. I conclude he would defend himself by
the rule that where the succeeding word, as "one," begins with a
vowel, "An," and not "A," should be used; but this appears to me not
altogether satisfactory, as, though "one" is spelt as beginning with
a vowel, it is _pronounced_ as if beginning with a consonant thus,
"won." The rule of adding or omitting the final "n," according as the
following word commences with a vowel or a consonant, was meant, I
conceive, entirely for elegance in _speaking_, to avoid the jar on
the ear which would otherwise be occasioned, and has no reference
to _writing_, or the appearance on paper of the words.
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