These words seem to begin with a vowel, but they're actually pronounced with a consonant sound. That's why they use the "a" article instead of "an".
Most of these words begin with letter u and are actually spelled with the semivowel j (http://teflpedia.com/IPA_phoneme_/j/). They sound like a vowel, but they share the same phonologic paradigm of consonants.
See the full list below:
| Word | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|
| use | /juːs/ |
| union | /ˈjuːnjən/ |
| university | /juːnɪˈvɜːsətiː/ |
| unit | /ˈjuː.nɪt/ |
| user | /ˈjuːzə(ɹ)/ |
| unity | /ˈjuːnɪti/ |
| universe | /ˈjuːnɪˌvɜːs/ |
| uniform | /ˈjuːnɪfɔːm/ |
| usage | /ˈjuːsɪd͡ʒ/ /ˈjuːzɪd͡ʒ/ |
| utility | /juːˈtɪl.ɪ.ti/ |
| urine | /ˈjʊɹɪn/ /ˈjɝɪn/ |
| uranium | /jʊˈɹeɪniəm/ |
| unison | /ˈjunɨsən/ /ˈjunɨzən/ |
| euphoria | /juːˈfɔːɹi.ə/ |
| utopia | /juˈtəʊpɪə/ |
| unanimity | /juːnəˈnɪmɪti/ |
| uterus | /ˈjuː.təɹ.əs/ |
| euthanasia | /juː.θəˈneɪ.zɪ.ə/ |
| ewe | /juː/ |
| ufo | /ˈju.fo/ |
| unicorn | /ˈjuːnɪkɔːn/ |
| urea | /jʊˈɹiːə/ /ˈjʊəɹɪə/ |
| urethra | /jʊˈɹiːθɹə/ |
| euphemism | /ˈjuː.fəˌmɪ.z(ə)m/ |
| eugenics | /juːˈdʒɛnɪks/ |
| usurper | /juˈsɜɹpə(ɹ)/ |
| usability | /ˌjuːzəˈbɪlɪti/ |
| eunuch | /ˈjuː.nʌk/ |
| uni | /ˈjuː.niː/ |
| eucalyptus | /ˌjuːkəˈlɪptəs/ |
| usury | /ˈjuːʒəɹi/ |
| eulogy | /ˈjuːlədʒi/ |
| ubiquity | /juˈbɪkwɪti/ |
| universalism | /ˌjuːnəˈvɝsəlˌɪzəm/ |
| urinal | /juːˈɹaɪnəl/ |
| universal | /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsl/ |
| ewer | /ˈjuː.ə/ /ˈjʊə/ |
| euro | /ˈjʊəɹəʊ/ |
| utensil | /juˈtɛn.səl/ |
| ufology | /ˌjuːˈfɑlədʒi/ /ˌjuːɛfˈɑlədʒi/ |
| uniformitarianism | /juːnɪfɔːmɪˈtɛːɹɪənɪzm/ |
| upsilon | /juːpˈsaɪ.lən/ /ˈʌp.sɪˌlɒn/ |
| ukulele | /juː.kə.ˈleɪ.li/ |
| urinalysis | /jʊəɹɪˈnælɪsɪs/ |
| usurer | /ˈjuːʒəɹə/ /ˈjuːzjəɹə/ |
| ureter | /jʊəˈɹiːtəɹ/ |
| uridine | /ˈjʊə.ɹɪ.din/ |
| ute | /juːt/ |
| eugenist | /juːˈdʒɛnɪst/ |
| eutectic | /juˈtɛk.tɪk/ |
| eukaryote | /juˈkæɹi.əʊt/ /juˈkæɹi.əɒt/ |
| ufologist | /ˌjuːˈfɑlədʒɪst/ |
| ululation | /juːljʊˈleɪʃ(ə)n/ /ʌljʊ./ |
| usufruct | /ˈjuːz(j)ʊfɹʌkt/ |
| eustasy | /ˈjuːstəsi/ |
| unary | /ˈjunəɹi/ |
| uvula | /ˈjuːv.jʊ.lə/ |
| urus | /ˈjʊəɹəs/ |
| eucatastrophe | /ˌjuːkəˈtæstɹəfi/ |
| uraeus | /jʊˈɹiː.əs/ |
| ouabain | /ˈwɑːbeɪn/ /ˈuːəbeɪn/ |
| one | /wʌn/ /wɐn/ |
| using | /ˈjuːzɪŋ/ |
| Ucalegon | /juːˈkælɨɡɒn/ |
| oncer | /ˈwʌnsə/ |
| Usanian | /ˌjuːˈseɪni.ən/ |
| usufruction | /juːz(j)ʊˈfɹʌkʃən/ |
| Eusebius | /juˈsibi.əs/ |
| USAR | /ˈju.sɑɹ/ |
| usufructuary | /ˌjuːz(j)ʊˈfɹʌktʃʊˌəɹi/ /.tjʊ./ |
| Amazigh | /ʔæ.mæːˈziːʁ/ /ʔɑ.mɑːˈziːʁ/ /ʔa.maːˈziːʁ/ |
| usuress | /ˌjuːʒəˈɹɛs/ /ˌjuːzjəˈɹɛs/ |
| euouae | /juːˈuːɪ/ |
| ukase | /juːˈkeɪz/ |
| euclidianness | /juːˈklɪdi.ən.nɛs/ |
| uke | /juːk/ |
| uke | /juːk/ |
| Uke | /juːk/ |
| Ukie | /ˈjuːki/ |
| ureteroureterostomy | /jʊˌriːtəroʊjʊˌriːtəˈrɒstəmi/ |
| usurping | /juːˈsɜː(ɹ)pɪŋ/ |
| eustress | /juːˈstɹɛs/ |
| Unakas | /juˈneɪkəs/ |
| eudaemon | /juˈdimən/ |
| Ukrainian | /juːˈkɹeɪnɪən/ |
| unidirectionality | /ˌjuː.ni.də.ɹek.ʃənˈɛl.ɪ.ti/ |
| Utahn | /ˈjuːtɑːn/ /ˈjuːtɔːn/ |
| unite | /juˈnaɪt/ /jʊˈnaɪt/ /ju̟ˈnaɪ̯ʔ/ /ju̟ˈnaɪ̯(ʔ)t̚/ |
| uranism | /ˈjʊəɹənɪzəm/ |
| uranist | /ˈjʊəɹənɪst/ |
| eudemonia | /ˌjuːdɪˈməʊnɪə/ |
| euth | /juθ/ |
| Ute | /ˈjuːt/ |
| European bison | /jʊɹəˌpiːən ˈbaɪsn̩/ |
| uranophobia | /ˈjuɹənoˌfəʊbi.ə/ |
| euphoriant | /juˈfɔɹi.ənt/ |
| uvular | /ˈjuːvjʊləɹ/ |
| Ouija | /ˈwiːdʒə/ /ˈwiːdʒi/ |
| uropygium | /jʊəɹəˈpɪd͡ʒɪəm/ |
| eugarie | /juːɡəɹi/ /juːɡaːɹi/ |
| eugenesis | /ˈju.ˌd͡ʒɛn.ə.sɪs/ |
| UW | /ˈjuˈdʌb/ |
| Iatmul | /ˈjɒtmʊl/ |
| eutripsia | /juːˈtɹɪpsɪə/ |
| uey | /ˈjuː.i/ |
| eugeny | /ˈjuːd͡ʒəni/ |
| euglena | /juːˈɡliːnə/ |
| UFO | /ju ɛf ˈəʊ/ |
| unigeniture | /ˌjuːnɪˈdʒɛnɪtjʊə/ /ˌjuːnɪˈdʒɛnɪtʃə/ |
| univalence | /ˌjuːnɪˈveɪləns/ /juːˈnɪvələns/ |
| univalent | /ˌjuːnɪˈveɪlənt/ /juːˈnɪvələnt/ |
| utile | /ˈjuː.taɪl/ |
| utilitarian | /juˌtɪl.ɪˈteɪɹ.i.ən/ |
| ubac | /ˈjuː.bæk/ |
| eulachon | /ˈjuːləkɒn/ |
| unique | /juːˈniːk/ |
| Usonian | /juːˈsoʊni.ən/ |
| Appendix:English dictionary-only terms/zzxjoanw | /ʃɔː/ |
| Eurasian wigeon | /jʊ.ɹeɪʒən.wɪd͡ʒən/ |
| Oaxaca | /wɑːˈhɑː.kɑː/ /wəˈhɑː.kɑː/ |
| uniquity | /juˈnɪkwɪti/ |
| eureka | /juˈɹikə/ |
| onesie | /ˈwʌn.zi/ |
| Universalism | /ˌjuːnəˈvɝsəlˌɪzəm/ |
| uberty | /ˈjuːbəti/ |
| uni | /ˈjuː.niː/ |
| ubication | /juːbɪˈkeɪʃən/ |
| Utonian | /juːˈtoʊ.ni.ən/ |
| ubicity | /juːˈbɪsɪti/ |
| Euboean | /juːˈbiːən/ |
| Uniate | /ˈjuː.nɪ.ət/ |
| euro | /ˈjʊəɹəʊ/ |
| utopographer | /ˌjuːtə(ʊ)ˈpɒɡɹəfə/ |
| accidental abortion | /spɑnˈteɪ.ni.əs əˈbɔɹ.ʃn̩/ |
| esclop | /slɒp/ |
| Euro-American | /ˈjʊɹ.oʊ.əˈmɛɹ.ɪ.kən/ /ˈjɝ.oʊ.əˈmɛɹ.ɪ.kən/ |
| Eumenides | /juˈmɛnɪdiːz/ |
| Eucharist | /ˈjuːkəɹɪst/ |
| univocal | /juːnɪˈvəʊkəl/ /juːˈnɪvək(ə)l/ |
| US-ian | /ˌjuːˈɛsi.ən/ |
| Appendix:List of protologisms/Long words/Titin | /mə.ˌθaɪ.ə.nɪl.ˌθri.ə.nɪl.ˌθri.ə.nɪl.glu.ˌtæm.ə.nɪl.ˌæl.ə.(ˌ)nɪl.ˌproʊ.lɪl.ˌθri.ə.nɪl.ˌfɛ.n(ə)l...ˌlu/ |
| euchologion | /juːkə(ʊ)ˈləʊdʒɪən/ |
| euchre | /ˈjuːkəɹ/ |
| eunoia | /juːˈnɔɪ.ə/ |
| Unix | /ˈjuːnɪks/ |
Note: these words have been obtained from Wiktionary and have been classified and improved through automated computer linguistics processes.
Comments (17)
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#1
Its missing the H words like an hour, an honorable ..., a or an historic .... ,
Written by: Stanley Thompson on 20/03/2019
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#2
Stanley, it's words starting with a vowel, not a consonant.
Written by: Choc on 10/02/2020
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#3
Covid sucks really bad.
Written by: cohC on 18/05/2020
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#4
;lkdjsvldghvldxkuhfdfisuvsdgvknlgv
Written by: Rohit on 08/09/2020
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#5
"Accidental Abortion" is on here by mistake, it has the phonetic spelling of "spontaneous abortion."
Written by: Jaison on 14/12/2020
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#6
The person who made the first comment is (like far too many people of our time) mispronouncing H-words by dropping the (consonant) H sound. Admittedly, "hour" is properly pronounced "our," but it is quite incorrect to pronounce "historic" as "istoric." A more common corruption is to drop the H sound in words like human, so that it sounds like you're saying "Yuman" (which would be a person from Yuma, Ariz.) But "yuman" for "human" is also quite incorrect in spite of its growing popularity. And now you know--spread the word.
Written by: Lance on 24/02/2021
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#7
“A” does not precede “Amazigh."
Neither “A” or “An” would precede the word unite. United yes, unite no.Written by: Mia on 27/02/2021 -
#8
*USaian or USAian
“A” does not precede “accidental” even if the word “abortion” follows.Written by: Mia on 27/02/2021 -
#9
Stanley, the author created a list of words that are preceded by “a”, not “an.” Historic and historical are preceded by “an.”
Written by: Mia on 27/02/2021
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#10
How can “accidental” be a phonetic spelling of “spontaneous”? They are both actual words and completely different words.
Written by: Mia on 27/02/2021
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#11
Mia was on a roll then Neither/or , ouch. :-)
Neither "a" nor "an" precede the word unite.Written by: Mont on 24/05/2021 -
#12
not clearly written, and confusing
Written by: zue on 22/07/2021
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#13
Hi I am Neel Patel from 6A
Written by: Neel on 14/09/2021
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#14
an anna an na nnaa nana anan an ana annan naanana naanna an aa a ana ananana nna an nanaan anna an na nnaa nana anan an ana annan naanana naanna an aa a ana ananana nna an nanaan anna an na nnaa nana anan an ana annan naanana naanna an aa a ana ananana nna an nana
Written by: an anna an na nnaa nana anan an ana annan naanana naanna an aa a ana ananana nna an nana on 18/03/2022
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#15
Sorry had an a nan ann an stroke
Written by: I'm not addressing my name on this website on 18/03/2022
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#16
Consonants like Honest and Hour missing in the list
Written by: Jayanand nauriyal on 18/04/2022
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#17
no they are not missing
Written by: Bar on 25/04/2022