This worksheet is designed to help children learn the correct use of the indefinite articles
"a" and
"an" in English. The rule is:
- Use
"a" before words that start with a
consonant sound.
- Use
"an" before words that start with a
vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u).
Let’s go through each item one by one and determine whether to use
"a" or
"an".
---
1. mango
- Starts with
"m", which is a consonant sound →
"a mango"
✔ a mango
2. cap
- Starts with
"c", consonant sound →
"a cap"
✔ a cap
3. tomato
- Starts with
"t", consonant sound →
"a tomato"
✔ a tomato
4. egg
- Starts with
"e", a vowel sound →
"an egg"
✔ an egg
5. owl
- Starts with
"o", a vowel sound →
"an owl"
✔ an owl
6. whistle
- Starts with
"w", but the "wh" combination makes a
"w" sound (consonant) →
"a whistle"
✔ a whistle
> Note: Even though it starts with "w", the sound is consonant, so we use
"a".
7. book
- Starts with
"b", consonant sound →
"a book"
✔ a book
8. igloo
- Starts with
"i", a vowel sound →
"an igloo"
✔ an igloo
9. ant
- Starts with
"a", a vowel sound →
"an ant"
✔ an ant
10. umbrella
- Starts with
"u", a vowel sound →
"an umbrella"
✔ an umbrella
11. apple
- Starts with
"a", a vowel sound →
"an apple"
✔ an apple
12. tree
- Starts with
"t", consonant sound →
"a tree"
✔ a tree
---
Final Answers:
1.
a mango
2.
a cap
3.
a tomato
4.
an egg
5.
an owl
6.
a whistle
7.
a book
8.
an igloo
9.
an ant
10.
an umbrella
11.
an apple
12.
a tree
---
Summary Rule Reminder:
- Use
"a" before consonant sounds:
a cap, a book, a tree
- Use
"an" before vowel sounds:
an egg, an owl, an apple
Even if a word starts with a consonant letter, if it's pronounced with a vowel sound (like "hour"), you’d use "an". But here, all are straightforward.
✔ This completes the worksheet!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of a or an worksheet.