A non-boring guide to definite and indefinite articles in English

English articles are an essential part of learning English — and we don’t mean the ones you’d find in a magazine.

When you set out to study English grammar, you’ll find that many of the words that we take for granted actually serve incredibly important purposes. Though articles in English are only up to three letters in length, they help us navigate everyday conversations with both precision and efficiency.

If you’re not a native English speaker, then learning how to use English articles correctly will help you advance in your quest for proficiency. In this helpful guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the difference between definite and indefinite articles along with example sentences and pronunciation guides to help you start nailing this grammar point right away.

Let’s get right to the guide!

What are articles in English grammar?

Articles are the most common determiners of the English language, which means that they help us determine the identity of a noun. In other words, articles can help us tell whether we know the exact identity of a noun in question when we’re talking.

In linguistics, this is referred to as the referent of a noun. For example, when we say “I love candles” without an article, we’re stating that we don’t know the referent of the noun — we are talking about candles in general rather than about one specific candle. However, when we say “I love the candle,” then we are saying that we love a specific, individual candle — and that it’s abundantly clear what that candle is to the audience.

What is a definite article?

A definite article is used to signal that you’re speaking about a specific thing or group of things. The audience must be fully aware of what specific item you’re talking about, as they wouldn’t be able to follow the conversation otherwise. The only definite article in English is “the.”

Some ways you can tell whether the audience knows about the identity of the noun are:

• The item is obvious.

• The item is common knowledge.

• The noun was mentioned earlier in the sentence.

Keep reading to learn more about the situations where you’d use a definite article in a sentence.

When to use “the”

The English article “the” be used with all nouns, including singular, plural, countable, and non-countable nouns. The only precondition is that the reader or listener is already aware of the identity of said noun, such as in the following situations:

When the noun is obvious

If the item in question is abundantly obvious, then you don’t have to worry about the audience not knowing what you’re talking about. This generally happens when you’re talking about a noun that’s directly in your field of vision. For example, if you’re having dinner and there’s a jug full of water on the table, you can just ask, “Can you pass me the water?”

Here are some more examples:

When the noun is common knowledge

If it’s something that everybody knows about, then you don’t have to worry about the audience not knowing about it. Think of these as universally known objects, values, or feelings that you can expect anyone on Earth to know about. Here are some examples.

When the noun was already mentioned

Definite pronouns help us avoid repetition. Use them to refer to nouns that you’ve already introduced the audience to certain nouns earlier in the sentence or in preceding sentences.

What is an indefinite article?

Indefinite articles are used to signal that you’re talking about a general group of nouns. This is useful when you’re not talking about the specific referent of a noun (i.e., the exact version of said noun) and would instead like to refer to any version of the noun. Indefinite articles are used exclusively with singular, countable nouns.

When to use “a”

The indefinite article “a” can only be used in front of singular, countable nouns. Wait, so indefinite articles are used with countable nouns? Doesn’t that sound counterintuitive?

Well, yes. It might sound like indefinite nouns are used when speaking about things that cannot be defined or counted, but that’s not actually the case. Indefinite actually means that you’re not speaking about a specific specimen of a noun — any individual item from that noun will do. For example, when you say you want “a glass of water,” you don’t really care which glass of water you get. That’s where the indefinite part comes from.

Here are a few cases of when to use the article “a” in English:

When the specific identity is unknown

You can use the indefinite article “a” in situations where you don’t know which specific specimen of a noun is involved in the situation you’re referring to.

When mentioning something for the first time

As you now know, the definite article “the” helps us avoid repetition when talking about nouns that we’ve already mentioned. However, when mentioning articles for the first time, we have to make sure to use the indefinite article “a.” Here are some examples:

When referring to someone’s profession

You’ll want to use the indefinite article “a” when speaking about professions. Whether it’s your own profession or someone else’s, make sure to always include “a” right before the noun. Here are some examples:

When to use “an”

The other indefinite article in English is “an.” This article works exactly the same as “a,” except that it’s used when the article is followed by a noun that starts with a vowel sound. Here are some examples:

When not to use an article in English

Although using English articles can be very helpful, there are certain times when using them would be a grave mistake. Here are a few scenarios where you’ll want to avoid using articles altogether:

Pronouns

Many languages allow for the use of both articles and pronouns — but English isn’t one of them. Any time you have a pronoun, you’ll want to avoid using an article before the noun. Here are some examples:

Languages

Languages in English never require an article. Although other languages will sometimes allow for an article to be used right before a language, you’ll want to avoid saying things like “he speaks the French” in English!

Academic subjects

If you’re studying English, then chances are that you’re studying other academic subjects as well. If you’re wondering how to refer to these subjects, the answer is simple: always avoid articles! Here are a few examples:

Sports

Finally, sports never go with an article in English. Whether you’re talking about your hobbies or want to talk about the sports you watch for entertainment, remember to avoid articles altogether. Keep in mind, though, that you should use an article if you’re talking about a sports match or competition — just not when you’re talking about the sport in general.

How is the English definite article “the” pronounced?

There are very few words in English that change pronunciation, depending on the surrounding words, and “the” is one of them. If you’re a native English speaker, then you know that “the” is pronounced differently in the following example: “The dog took the apple.” But do you know why?

When the word immediately following “the” starts with a vowel sound, it is pronounced “thee.” Otherwise, it is pronounced “thuh.” Check out the video below for a demonstration of the two ways to pronounce this article.

How to pronounce the article THE - 3 rules| Accurate English

English articles FAQs

Do mass nouns go with articles?

Mass nouns don’t go with indefinite articles. However, they can go with definite articles. Also known as “uncountable nouns,” these nouns cannot be separated into individual units. Therefore, you cannot use indefinite articles right before them.

Do acronyms need articles?

It depends. Acronyms that are read out as individual letters (which you know are called “initialisms, if you read our guide to English abbreviations) do require an article, whereas acronyms that are read as a whole word don’t. Here are some examples:

Initialisms that do require an acronym:

• She works at the UN.

• He’s getting an MBA.

• The CEO of the company is incredibly accomplished.

Acronyms that are read as a single word do not require an article:

• He wants to work at NASA.

• I bank at BOFA.

• These shirts are BOGO today only.

Do country names need articles?

In general, country names don’t need an article. However, there are a few countries that do require an article since they include common nouns like Republic, Kingdom, Island, etc, or because they include a plural name. Here are some countries that do require an article:

• the Czech Republic

• the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

• the Russian Federation

• the United Kingdom

• the Maldives

• the Netherlands

• the Philippines

• the United Arab Emirates

• the United States

Hope you enjoyed the ultimate guide to English pronouns

That’s the spirit! You’ve now learned everything you need to know to master the articles in English. In this handy guide, we covered the difference between definite and indefinite articles, the difference between countable and uncountable nouns, and plenty of examples!

If you enjoyed this article, make sure to check out our English blog where we regularly publish content about this fascinating language. Some of our recent posts include a guide to the hardest English words (do you know them all!?) and hundreds of ridiculously cute nicknames.