What Is an Indefinite Article? | Meaning & Examples
An indefinite article is a type of determiner that goes before a singular, countable noun. The two indefinite articles in English are “a” and “an.” Indefinite articles are for general or unspecified versions of nouns, and the definite article (or another determiner) is for specific versions (e.g., “a book” rather than “the book that I read last week”).
You can use an indefinite article before one of these words:
- The noun it modifies (if there are no other modifiers)
- The first adjective that modifies the noun
- The adverb that modifies the noun’s first adjective
When a noun has multiple modifiers, the article or other determiner is always the first modifier.
The choice between “a” or “an” depends on the pronunciation of the next word. Use “a” when the next word begins with a vowel sound and “an” when the next word begins with a consonant sound.
Jeff wrote a beautiful song about a mountain.
Fatima had an especially productive morning at work today.
Definite vs indefinite articles
The main difference between definite and indefinite articles is the types of nouns they can modify.
- The indefinite articles “a” and “an” always modify general versions of singular, countable nouns (e.g., “I need a vacation”).
- The definite article “the” modifies a particular version of any noun, which can be singular, plural, countable (e.g., “towels,” “sun,” “ocean”), or uncountable (e.g., “sand,” “water,” “lotion”).
Indefinite and definite articles have different meanings. For example, “I ate a banana” means “any banana in general.” In contrast, “I ate the banana” means that there was one specific banana (e.g., the only banana in the house).
The rules about when to use definite and indefinite articles are somewhat detailed.
Article type | Use | Example |
---|---|---|
Indefinite articles | The first time you mention the noun in conversation or writing (After that, a definite article is usually the right choice.) | We tried a new sushi restaurant last week. The restaurant had a robot that delivered our food. The robot and I took a selfie. |
When the general category is more important than a specific version | The baby needed a nap. (The sentence is about “a nap” in general, not one specific nap.) | |
To show “one” rather than “more than one” | The recipe calls for three tomatoes and an onion. | |
Definite articles | For a noun that is the only one of its kind (except for most country names like—“Japan”) | The Eiffel Tower is taller than the Sky Tower. |
When the words after the noun specify a particular version | I’m making soup for the neighbors across the street. | |
When you mentioned the noun in a previous sentence | We saw a red-tailed hawk perched on a fence. When we walked closer, the hawk flew away. |
- I played new card game called Skyjo last weekend.
- I played a new card game called Skyjo last weekend.
- The game was fun and easy to learn.
- Maybe we could play this game at your party.
- Your new game also sounds fun!
Indefinite article examples: A vs an
The rules for “a” or “an” are based on the pronunciation of the next word in the sentence. Generally, “a” goes before words that start with consonant sounds (e.g., “b” or “k” sounds), and “an” goes before words that start with vowel sounds (e.g., “a” or “e” sounds).
The consonant “h” sometimes has a vowel sound (e.g., “hour”), and the vowel “u” sometimes has a consonant sound (e.g., “unicorn”).
Indefinite article | Rule | Example |
---|---|---|
A | Before a consonant sound (including the /ju:/ sound that “u” has in “union”) | The meteorologist predicted a winter storm.
Lemonade tastes great on a hot day. Flora wants a ukulele for her birthday. |
An | Before a vowel sound (including silent “h”) | The house had an antique velvet sofa.
Did anyone lose an umbrella ? It was an honor to meet the astronaut. |
- An NP can prescribe medication just like a PCP, but an RN cannot.
When to avoid indefinite articles
For some types of nouns, you should avoid an indefinite article even when the reference is general or nonspecific. For example, indefinite articles usually cannot modify abstract nouns, which include emotional states (e.g., “joy”) and personality traits (e.g., “patience” or “optimism”).
Types of nouns without articles | Example in a sentence |
---|---|
Plural nouns | Samantha makes candles in her spare time. |
Abstract nouns (e.g., “justice,” “hope,” or “love”) | Billy’s music brings joy to so many people. |
Meals (e.g., “lunch” or “dinner”) | Never skip breakfast on the day of a test. |
Routine places (e.g., “home” or “bed”) | Dan got home just in time for the game. |
Uncountable nouns (e.g., “water” or “pasta”) | We eat pasta every Friday. |
You can sometimes use the definite article “the” before a specific version of these nouns (e.g., “The pasta we cooked last week was loaded with shrimp” or “The joy that we experienced at Billy’s concert was profound”).
- The hotel has free coffee before noon.
- The hotel has a free coffee before noon.
- The coffee (that the hotel provided) was actually pretty good!
- They even had a fair-trade coffee from Peru.
- I still bought a coffee from a café to support local business.
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you use definite and indefinite articles correctly.
Frequently asked questions about indefinite articles
- Is a an article?
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The word “a” is an article. More specifically, “a” is one of the two indefinite articles (“a” and “an”).
Indefinite articles modify general versions of singular and countable nouns (e.g., “a bicycle” means “any bicycle” whereas “the bicycle Mia got for her birthday” refers to one specific bicycle”).
Use “a” before the noun it modifies, the first adjective that modifies the noun, or the adverb that modifies the noun’s first adjective.
Use “a” instead of “an” when the next word begins with a consonant sound (e.g., “She wore a gold necklace”).
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you use the indefinite article “a” correctly in your writing.
- Is that an article?
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The word “that” is not an article but rather, a demonstrative pronoun.
The articles in English are the definite article “the” and the indefinite articles “a” and “an.”
Use “that” before a singular, countable noun that is clear from the context or that has already been mentioned (e.g., “I’m binge watching Ted Lasso again because I love that show”).
When you’re writing with indefinite articles, definite articles, or demonstrative pronouns, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker is here to help.
- What part of speech is an?
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The word “an” is an indefinite article that modifies a noun. It can go right before the noun, before the first adjective that modifies the noun, or before an adverb that modifies the noun’s first adjective.
Use this indefinite article in these situations:
- When you’re referring to a general version of a singular, countable noun (e.g., “an English muffin”)
- When the next word starts with a vowel sound (e.g., “an hour” or “an apple”)
QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker can help you avoid errors when you’re writing with “an.”
- Is and an article?
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The word and is not an article. It’s sometimes confused with the indefinite article “an,” but it’s a different part of speech.
And is a coordinating conjunction, so you can use it between two grammatically equal words, phrases, or clauses. For example, “and” can go between two independent clauses (e.g., “George had a sandwich for lunch, and Martha had soup”).
When you’re using indefinite articles or coordinating conjunctions in your writing, the QuillBot Grammar Checker is here to help.
- Is of an article?
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The word “of” is not an article but rather, a preposition. As a preposition, “of” begins a prepositional phrase, which also includes a noun. The following examples include prepositional phrases (in bold) that begin with “of.”
- The pyramids are made of limestone blocks.
- Michael published a book of poems.
In contrast to a preposition, an article is a determiner that modifies a noun. The definite article in English is “the,” and the indefinite articles are “a” and “an.”
The QuillBot Grammar Checker can help you use “of” correctly in your writing.