Articles - ESL worksheet by thfarang - Free Printable

Let's solve this step-by-step.

The task is to fill in the blanks with the correct article — either "a" or "an" — before each noun. The rule for choosing between "a" and "an" depends on the sound that begins the word, not just the letter:

- 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).

Note: Some words start with a vowel letter but have a consonant sound (e.g., "university" starts with 'u' but sounds like "yoo", so it takes "a"). But in this list, all words are simple and follow standard rules.

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Now, let’s go through each item:

1. bus → starts with /b/ (consonant sound) → a bus
2. orange → starts with /ɒr/ (vowel sound) → an orange
3. flower → starts with /fl/ (consonant sound) → a flower
4. banana → starts with /b/ (consonant sound) → a banana
5. unicorn → starts with /juː/ (vowel sound) → a unicorn
*(Note: "unicorn" starts with a "u" but pronounced as "you", which is a vowel sound, so we use "a")*
6. book → starts with /b/ (consonant sound) → a book
7. uniform → starts with /juː/ (vowel sound) → a uniform
8. igloo → starts with /ɪ/ (vowel sound) → an igloo
9. table → starts with /t/ (consonant sound) → a table
10. spider → starts with /s/ (consonant sound) → a spider
11. bed → starts with /b/ (consonant sound) → a bed
12. octopus → starts with /ɒk/ (consonant sound) → an octopus
*(Note: "octopus" starts with 'o', but the pronunciation begins with a vowel sound? Wait — actually, it starts with /ɒk/, which is a consonant sound. So "a" is correct. But wait — let's double-check: "octopus" is pronounced /ˈɒktəpəs/ — starts with /ɒ/, which is a vowel sound? No! /ɒ/ is a vowel *sound*, but in English, "a" vs "an" depends on whether the *initial sound* is a vowel or consonant. Since /ɒ/ is a vowel sound, we use "an".)*

Wait — correction here:
- "octopus" is pronounced /ˈɒktəpəs/ — starts with a vowel sound (/ɒ/) → an octopus

But actually, no: /ɒ/ is a vowel sound, so "an" should be used.

However, in common usage, people often say "a octopus", but grammatically, since it starts with a vowel sound, it should be "an octopus".

Let’s verify:
- Words like "hour" → "an hour" (starts with silent 'h', so vowel sound)
- "umbrella" → "an umbrella" (starts with /ʌ/, vowel sound)

So:
- octopus → /ɒktəpəs/ → starts with /ɒ/ → vowel sound → an octopus

✔ Yes, correct.

13. giraffe → starts with /dʒ/ (consonant sound) → a giraffe
14. umbrella → starts with /ʌ/ (vowel sound) → an umbrella
15. turtle → starts with /t/ (consonant sound) → a turtle
16. elephant → starts with /ˈɛl/ (vowel sound) → an elephant
*(Note: "elephant" starts with /ɛ/, a vowel sound → "an")*
17. apple → starts with /æ/ (vowel sound) → an apple
18. lemon → starts with /l/ (consonant sound) → a lemon
19. egg → starts with /ɛ/ (vowel sound) → an egg
20. bicycle → starts with /ˈbaɪ/ (vowel sound) → a bicycle
*(Note: "bicycle" starts with /b/, but the pronunciation is /ˈbaɪsɪkl/, so first sound is /b/ → consonant → "a")*
Wait: /b/ is a consonant sound → a bicycle ✔
21. pencil → starts with /p/ (consonant sound) → a pencil
22. ice cream → starts with /aɪ/ (vowel sound) → an ice cream
23. bee → starts with /biː/ → vowel sound → a bee
*(Wait: "bee" starts with /b/, which is a consonant sound → a bee)
→ Correct: a bee
24. owl → starts with /aʊ/ (vowel sound) → an owl

Let’s now compile the full corrected list:

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Final Answers:

1. a bus
2. an orange
3. a flower
4. a banana
5. a unicorn
6. a book
7. a uniform
8. an igloo
9. a table
10. a spider
11. a bed
12. an octopus
13. a giraffe
14. an umbrella
15. a turtle
16. an elephant
17. an apple
18. a lemon
19. an egg
20. a bicycle
21. a pencil
22. an ice cream
23. a bee
24. an owl

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Explanation Summary:

- Use "a" before words starting with a consonant sound (e.g., "bus", "book", "pencil").
- Use "an" before words starting with a vowel sound (e.g., "orange", "umbrella", "egg").

Even if a word starts with a vowel letter, if it's pronounced with a consonant sound (like "uniform" = /juːnɪfɔːrm/), use "a".
And vice versa: if it starts with a consonant letter but has a vowel sound (like "hour" or "honest"), use "an".

In this case, all items follow the standard rules.

✔ Final Answer List:

1. a
2. an
3. a
4. a
5. a
6. a
7. a
8. an
9. a
10. a
11. a
12. an
13. a
14. an
15. a
16. an
17. an
18. a
19. an
20. a
21. a
22. an
23. a
24. an