Dear Ann:

You wrote:
>
> Hi again,
>
> It’s me with another dilemma in our office. I say use ‘a’ before the word
> Hispanic and history. Other staff members say ‘an’ before history or
> Hispanic. My rule is ‘a’ before a consonant or consonant sound with ‘an’
> before vowels or vowel sounds. What do you guys say? Thanks.
>
> Ann
>
I hate to sound like a weasel on this one, but either one is OK. In writing, whichever you use, be consistent. Usually “history” takes an “a.” But many people say, for example, “an historic occasion.” It is more a matter of
local dialect and how much you emphasize the “h.” Both words come from languages in which the “h” is silent, so in many places the words are pronounced with little or no emphasis on the “h.”