an

A1 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

US /ˈæn/ UK [ˈæn] See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like en /ɛ/ vs /æ/

Freq #75

Meanings

1

det
The form of "a" used before words that begin with a vowel sound; refers to one person or thing not already mentioned.

I'll be there in an hour.
2

prep
For each; per (used with measurements).

The car was only going twenty miles an hour.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 prep · for each; per (used with... per

Word family

Derived forms another

Appears in

Phrases (56)

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an old lady
an elderly woman

Adjective + noun
an old town
the historical or original part of a town, typically with older buildings

Adjective + noun
get an idea
to come to have a thought or plan

Verb + noun
give an answer
to respond to a question or request for information

Verb + noun
have an idea
to possess or think of an idea

Verb + noun
spend an hour
to use an hour doing a particular activity

Verb + noun

Idioms (7)

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Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-West Germanic *ain Old English ān Middle English an English an From Middle English an, from Old English ān (“a, an”, literally “one”). More at one.

an Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words

External links

# an

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** det, prep
**IPA (US):** /ˈæn/
**IPA (UK):** [ˈæn]
**Frequency rank:** 75

## Meanings
1. The form of "a" used before words that begin with a vowel sound; refers to one person or thing not already mentioned.
2. For each; per (used with measurements).

## Examples
- I'll be there in an hour.
- The car was only going twenty miles an hour.

## Derived Forms
- another

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: an

## Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ís? Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos Proto-Germanic *ainaz Proto-West Germanic *ain Old English ān Middle English an English an From Middle English an, from Old English ān (“a, an”, literally “one”). More at one.

## AI Etymology
An comes from Middle English an, from Old English ān (“a, an”, literally “one”). Compare one. The historical chain runs from Proto-Indo-European *ís? through Proto-Indo-European *h₁óynos, Proto-Germanic *ainaz, Proto-West Germanic *ain, Old English ān, and Middle English an to English an.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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an