Please use the form below to provide your feedback. Because your feedback is valuable to us, the information you submit in this form is recorded in our issue tracking system (JIRA), which is publicly available. You can track the status of your feedback using the ticket number displayed in the dialog once you submit the form.

Articles (a, an, the)

    March 9, 2025
    + 12

    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