Should 'a' or 'an' go before 'holistic approach'?

Answer 1

The article 'a' should go before 'holistic approach'. The choice between 'a' and 'an' is determined by the sound of the following word, not just its first letter. In this case, the 'h' in 'holistic' is pronounced with a consonant sound, so 'a' is the correct choice.

Answer 2

Ah, what a lovely question! It all depends on the sound at the beginning of the word "holistic." If it sounds like it starts with a vowel, then you would use "an." If it sounds like it starts with a consonant, then you would use "a." Remember, language is like a happy little cloud, always changing and flowing. Just go with what feels right to you!

Answer 3

In American English it is "...an holistic approach" or "...a holistic approach." Either is acceptable.

Generally, the article "a" is used for consonant sounds, and the article "an" is used for vowel sounds. However, it is advised by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary that we can use anbefore an h- word that begins with an unstressed syllable. Thus, we might say "...an his-TOR-ical moment," but we would say, "...a HIS-tory book. There are many writers who call this an affectation and prefer that we say a historical, but this is a stylistic choice, a matter of preference.