a

UK: ə | US: ə

Definition

  1. indefinite article. used before singular nouns to indicate one unspecified item

  2. n. the first letter of the English alphabet

  3. n. (music) the sixth note in the diatonic scale of C major

Structure

No data yet.

Etymology

The word "a" traces back to Old English "ān," meaning "one." Over time, it lost the "n" sound in unstressed positions (e.g., "a book" vs. "an apple"). Its role as an indefinite article emerged in Middle English, simplifying from numerical "one" to a general marker of singularity.

Examples

  1. She found a coin on the street.

  2. He plays a guitar in the band.

  3. It’s a beautiful day today.

  4. A cat jumped onto the fence.

  5. I need a pen to write this down.