What does “a” mean?
- 1
determinerused before a singular noun when you mean any one, or one not mentioned before
I saw a fox in the garden this morning.
- 2
determinerone; each, used in prices, speeds and how often something happens
The tickets cost ten dollars a person.
A at a glance
- Part of speech
- determiner
- CEFR level
- A1 (beginner)
- Pronunciation
- /ə/ · UH
How to use “a” correctly
Use “a” before a consonant sound and “an” before a vowel sound: “a university”, “an hour”.
“a” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- another determinerA1one more of the same kind
- each determinerA1every one of two or more people or things, seen separately
- his determinerA1belonging to or connected with a man or boy already mentioned
- its determinerA1belonging to or connected with a thing or animal already mentioned
- my determinerA1belonging to or connected with the speaker
- our determinerA1belonging to or connected with the speaker and others
- that determinerA1used for a person or thing farther away or already mentioned
- the determinerA1used before a noun when the listener knows which one you mean