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It started out as a way to pass the time. As I do when I'm particularly bored, I like to analyze the words in any given sentence. I noticed, in my musings, that the word "unique," when accomanied by the article "a," doesn't follow the usual structure. Most words that start with a vowel require "an," but unique doesn't. So I ask you, Hatrack, are there any other words that follow the same rule as "unique?"
Sorry if this was badly worded, but I couldn't think of another way to make this clear. Bear with me.
Posts: 1789 | Registered: Jul 2003
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It does follow the rule. You just have a simplified version of the rule. If a word starts with a vowel sound it is preceded by an. Unique starts with a y sound, thus the a.
Posts: 2880 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Although "unique" is spelled with an initial vowel, it's pronounced as if there were a "y" in front: yooneek. You wouldn't put "an" in front of any other words that started with a "y", such as "yak."
There are many examples, like most words that begin with "eu."
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"Honor" and "honorable" are other ones that go by sound rather than spelling-- "He lived an honorable life."
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
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e.g. eunuch, Europe, utopia, universe, unit, Unitarian, user, etc.
My favorite grammar (or spelling, I suppose) rule is the "I before E except after C, or when sounded like 'ay' as in 'neighbor' and 'weigh'" rule, purely because the only exception is weird.
Posts: 4313 | Registered: Sep 2004
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