What's the shortest word in the English language? If you guessed "a," you're correct! This one-letter word is used as an indefinite article before nouns beginning with a consonant sound.
Here's a table summarizing the key facts about the shortest word in English:
Feature | Value |
---|---|
Length | 1 letter |
Pronunciation | /ə/ |
Part of speech | Indefinite article |
Usage | Before nouns beginning with a consonant sound |
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "a" has been used in the English language since the 9th century. It is derived from the Old English word "an," which was used before both consonants and vowels.
Over time, the use of "an" before vowels became less common, and by the 18th century, "a" was the standard form.
Here's a table comparing the usage of "a" and "an" over time:
Century | Percentage of "a" usage | Percentage of "an" usage |
---|---|---|
10th | 5% | 95% |
15th | 25% | 75% |
18th | 90% | 10% |
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