---
title: Articles (a, an, the)
pubDate: 2026-08-17T09:53:44.266Z
antora:
  editUrl: https://github.com/couchbaselabs/docs-style-guide/edit/main/styleguide/modules/ROOT/pages/articles.adoc
  xref: xref:styleguide::articles.adoc[]
---

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# Articles (a, an, the)

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

As stated in the [Google Developer's Style Guide](https://developers.google.com/style/articles):

**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