Difference between revisions of "Template:A or an/doc"

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{{Documentation subpage}}
 
{{Documentation subpage}}
 
<!-- Categories go at the bottom of this page and interwikis go in Wikidata. -->
 
<!-- Categories go at the bottom of this page and interwikis go in Wikidata. -->
{{Shortcut|Template:A(n)}}
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{{template shortcut|a(n)}}
Pass a noun to this template and it will select an [[indefinite article]] to precede it, depending on whether the first letter of the noun is a vowel or consonant.
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{{Lua|Module:A or an}}
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This template determines whether the first word in the argument provided begins with a vowel or consonant and returns with it "a" or "an" depending on the assessment.
  
Some account is made for exceptions to the above rule.
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==Usage==
 +
In general, it returns "an" if the first letter is ''a, e, i, o'', or ''u'', and "a" if any other:
  
=== Usage ===
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* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|word}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|word}}"
<pre>{{a or an | noun}}</pre>
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* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|elephant}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|elephant}}"
where ''noun'' is the noun.
 
  
=== Examples ===
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To capitalize "a", wrap the template in <code><nowiki>{{ucfirst:...}}</nowiki></code>.
* <code><nowiki>{{a or an | elephant}}</nowiki></code> produces {{a or an | elephant}}.
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* <code><nowiki>{{a or an | monkey}}</nowiki></code> produces {{a or an | monkey}}.
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* <code><nowiki>"{{ucfirst:{{a or an|word}}}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{ucfirst:{{a or an|word}}}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{ucfirst:{{a or an|elephant}}}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{ucfirst:{{a or an|elephant}}}}"
 +
 
 +
===Words beginning with a vowel letter===
 +
Words that begin with ''eu, ew, uni'', etc., and others like ''one, once'', and ''U'' are exceptions:
 +
 
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|European}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|European}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|one-sided game}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|one-sided game}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|U-turn}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|U-turn}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|Ukrainian}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|Ukrainian}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|university}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|university}}"
 +
 
 +
Some exceptions are made to the above rule.
 +
 
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|Euler diagram}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|Euler diagram}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|unimportant case}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|unimportant case}}"
 +
 
 +
===Words beginning with a consonant letter===
 +
Words that begin with a consonant letter also have some exceptions:
 +
 
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|heir}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|heir}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|hour}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|hour}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|honor}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|honor}}"
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* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|honour}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|honour}}"
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* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|nth degree}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|nth degree}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|x-ray image}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|x-ray image}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|Xbox}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|Xbox}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|ytterbium fiber}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|ytterbium fiber}}"
 +
 
 +
===Abbreviations===
 +
Words in all caps are treated as initialisms. If an initialism begins with F, H, L, M, N, R, S, or X, it returns "an". If it begins with U, it returns "a". Thus:
 +
 
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|LED}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|LED}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|led}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|led}}"
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* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|URL}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|URL}}"
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* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|url}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|url}}"
 +
 
 +
Some notable acronyms are made exceptions.
 +
 
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|FIFA referee}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|FIFA referee}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|NASA program}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|NASA program}}"
 +
 
 +
===Numbers===
 +
If the first word begins with 8, 11, or 18, it returns "an", unless it is read with "hundred", "thousand", etc. at the beginning.
 +
 
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|11}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|11}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|18th}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|18th}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|110}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|110}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|1800}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|1800}}" (assumes it's a year)
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|1,800}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|1,800}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|180,000}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|180,000}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|180000}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|180000}}"
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* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|18,000,000}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|18,000,000}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|18000000}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|18000000}}"
 +
 
 +
===Ambiguous cases===
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If {{para|variety|us}} is set, ''herb(s)'' and ''herbal'' are treated as starting with a vowel sound.
 +
 
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|herb}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|herb}}"
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* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|herb|variety=us}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|herb|variety=us}}"
 +
 
 +
Words before which people have not settled on whether to use "a" or "an" are generally not made exceptions, so the general rules apply.
 +
 
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|FAQ}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|FAQ}}"
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|upsilon}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|upsilon}}"
 +
 
 +
If the first letter is a non-Latin character, it returns "a" by default.
 +
 
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an|}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an|}}"
 +
 
 +
If the parameter is not entered, it returns an empty string.
 +
 
 +
* <code><nowiki>"{{a or an}}"</nowiki></code> → "{{a or an}}"
  
 
<includeonly>
 
<includeonly>
 
<!-- Categories go here, and interwikis go in Wikidata -->
 
<!-- Categories go here, and interwikis go in Wikidata -->
 
[[Category:String manipulation templates]]
 
[[Category:String manipulation templates]]
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Template:a or an}}
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{{lowercase title}}
 
</includeonly>
 
</includeonly>

Revision as of 12:18, 10 August 2018

This template determines whether the first word in the argument provided begins with a vowel or consonant and returns with it "a" or "an" depending on the assessment.

Usage

In general, it returns "an" if the first letter is a, e, i, o, or u, and "a" if any other:

  • "{{a or an|word}}" → "a word"
  • "{{a or an|elephant}}" → "an elephant"

To capitalize "a", wrap the template in {{ucfirst:...}}.

  • "{{ucfirst:{{a or an|word}}}}" → "A word"
  • "{{ucfirst:{{a or an|elephant}}}}" → "An elephant"

Words beginning with a vowel letter

Words that begin with eu, ew, uni, etc., and others like one, once, and U are exceptions:

  • "{{a or an|European}}" → "a European"
  • "{{a or an|one-sided game}}" → "a one-sided game"
  • "{{a or an|U-turn}}" → "a U-turn"
  • "{{a or an|Ukrainian}}" → "a Ukrainian"
  • "{{a or an|university}}" → "a university"

Some exceptions are made to the above rule.

  • "{{a or an|Euler diagram}}" → "an Euler diagram"
  • "{{a or an|unimportant case}}" → "an unimportant case"

Words beginning with a consonant letter

Words that begin with a consonant letter also have some exceptions:

  • "{{a or an|heir}}" → "an heir"
  • "{{a or an|hour}}" → "an hour"
  • "{{a or an|honor}}" → "an honor"
  • "{{a or an|honour}}" → "an honour"
  • "{{a or an|nth degree}}" → "an nth degree"
  • "{{a or an|x-ray image}}" → "an x-ray image"
  • "{{a or an|Xbox}}" → "an Xbox"
  • "{{a or an|ytterbium fiber}}" → "an ytterbium fiber"

Abbreviations

Words in all caps are treated as initialisms. If an initialism begins with F, H, L, M, N, R, S, or X, it returns "an". If it begins with U, it returns "a". Thus:

  • "{{a or an|LED}}" → "an LED"
  • "{{a or an|led}}" → "a led"
  • "{{a or an|URL}}" → "a URL"
  • "{{a or an|url}}" → "an url"

Some notable acronyms are made exceptions.

  • "{{a or an|FIFA referee}}" → "a FIFA referee"
  • "{{a or an|NASA program}}" → "a NASA program"

Numbers

If the first word begins with 8, 11, or 18, it returns "an", unless it is read with "hundred", "thousand", etc. at the beginning.

  • "{{a or an|11}}" → "an 11"
  • "{{a or an|18th}}" → "an 18th"
  • "{{a or an|110}}" → "a 110"
  • "{{a or an|1800}}" → "an 1800" (assumes it's a year)
  • "{{a or an|1,800}}" → "a 1,800"
  • "{{a or an|180,000}}" → "a 180,000"
  • "{{a or an|180000}}" → "a 180000"
  • "{{a or an|18,000,000}}" → "an 18,000,000"
  • "{{a or an|18000000}}" → "an 18000000"

Ambiguous cases

If |variety=us is set, herb(s) and herbal are treated as starting with a vowel sound.

  • "{{a or an|herb}}" → "a herb"
  • "{{a or an|herb|variety=us}}" → "an herb"

Words before which people have not settled on whether to use "a" or "an" are generally not made exceptions, so the general rules apply.

  • "{{a or an|FAQ}}" → "an FAQ"
  • "{{a or an|upsilon}}" → "an upsilon"

If the first letter is a non-Latin character, it returns "a" by default.

  • "{{a or an|あ}}" → "a あ"

If the parameter is not entered, it returns an empty string.

  • "{{a or an}}" → ""