Determiners
The English indefinite article a (pronounced /ə/, except when stressed, when it is pronounced
/eɪ/)
is spelled an (pronounced /ən/) when it precedes
a word beginning with a vowel sound. Examples:
a car /ə kɑː/, a hat /ə hat/, a finger /ə ˈfɪŋgə/, etc.
an apple /ən ˈap(ə)l/, an egg /ən ɛg/, an umbrella /ən ʌmˈbrɛlə/, etc.
Therefore, the article is also spelled
an when it comes before a silent h but
is spelled a when it precedes initial u, eu
and ew, when these are
pronounced /ju/. Examples:
an honour /ən ˈɒnə/, an hour /ən ˈaʊə/
a unit /ə ˈjuːnɪt/, a European /ə jʊərəˈpiːən/
Finally, it should be
kept in mind that these two forms are never used before plurals. The CATALAN
plural indefinite articles uns and unes are translated in English by some. Example:
unes
sabates = some shoes
The
English definite article is always spelled the;
it is pronounced /ðə/, except when it precedes a word beginning with a vowel
sound, when it is pronounced /ði/. Examples:
the
car /ðə kɑː/, the hat /ðə hat/, the finger /ðə ˈfɪŋgə/, etc.
the apple /ðɪ ˈap(ə)l/, the egg /ðɪ ɛg/, the umbrella /ðɪ ʌmˈbrɛlə/, etc.
It is also pronounced /ði/ when it comes before a silent h and /ðə/ when preceding initial
u, eu and ew, when these are pronounced /ju/. Examples:
the honor /ði ˈɒnə/, the hour /ði ˈaʊə/
the unit /ðə ˈjuːnɪt/, the Europeans /ðə jʊərəˈpiːənz/
The demonstrative
determiners this (aquest -a) and these (aquests -es) are
often confused because of their pronunciation. This is pronounced /ðɪs/, rhyming with the Central CATALAN
pronunciation of the word més. These is pronounced /ðiːz/ (the z pronounced as in the CATALAN word zoo), rhyming with the English word please.
The disjunctive determiners
either and neither are pronounced /ʌɪðə/ and /nʌɪðə/ in BrE, and /ˈiːðə/ and /ˈniːðə/ in AmE.
The predeterminer half is pronounced /haf/ in AmE and /ha:f/
in BrE. The l is always silent.
