a
a Lexical Profile
• noun
The first letter of the English alphabet and a vowel.
"The word 'apple' begins with the letter a."
The highest grade or mark in an academic examination or course, indicating excellence.
"She studied diligently all semester and earned an A in chemistry."
In music, the sixth note of the diatonic scale of C major, often used as a standard tuning pitch.
"The orchestra tuned their instruments to the oboe's concert A."
• preposition
In, to, or for each; per (used to express rates, ratios, or frequency).
"The train travels at over a hundred miles a hour, and departs twice a day."
Word Nuance & Usage
As an indefinite article, 'a' is used before words that begin with a consonant sound (including words spelled with an initial vowel that starts with a /j/ or /w/ sound, such as 'a university' or 'a one-way street'), whereas 'an' is used before words beginning with a vowel sound.
• Rhymes for a
Word Origin & Etymology
The indefinite article derives from Middle English a, a reduced form of Old English ān ('one') used before consonant sounds. The letter name and symbol trace back through Latin and Etruscan to the Ancient Greek alpha and Phoenician aleph.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.