THE SINGULAR NOUN

Nouns can be singular or plural. When you are talking about one person, animal, place, or thing, use a singular noun.

These are also singular nouns:

an airplane

a letter

a bicycle

a map

a boy

a photograph

a bus

a refrigerator

a comb

a slide

a girl

a swing

a key

a van

a ship

an owl

a train

a woman

a flower

NOTE

Use a or an before singular nouns. Use an before words beginning with vowels (a, e, i, o,u). For example, say:

an axe

an igloo

an egg

an orange

an envelope

an umbrella

an ice cream

an uncle

But some words don’t follow this rule. For example, use a (not an) before these words that begin with u:

a uniform

a university

a unicorn

a useful material

a useless plant

a union

Use a before words beginning with the other letters of the alphabet, called consonants. For example, say:

a basket

a rainbow

a bowl

a monster

a car

a pillow

a hill

a watch

a house

a zoo

But some words don’t follow this rule. For example, use an (not a) before these words that begin with h:

an heir

an honor

an hour

an honorable person