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Articles (a, an, the)

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      Use articles like a, an, and the in your writing.

      As stated in the Google Developer’s Style Guide:

      A and an are indefinite articles and are used before a singular noun. They refer to any member of a group.

      The is a definite article. It is used before singular and plural nouns and refers to one or more particular members of a group.

      Whether to use a or an depends on the pronunciation of the word that follows it. Use a before any consonant sound; use an before any vowel sound, as in the following examples:

      • An hour

      • An HTML file

      • A hand

      • A hotel

      • An umbrella

      • A union

      To complicate matters further, some abbreviations can be both acronyms and initialisms, requiring a in one instance and an in the other. For example, FAQ, which some pronounce "fak" and others spell out, requires an when spelled out and a when pronounced as a word. In some cases, it can be best to use the article that aligns with how the abbreviation is pronounced. The following list provides our recommendations for which article to use:

      • A SQL (database)

      • An FAQ