a
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
How often you will meet it
Rank 5 of 71,295 words measured. It occurs 4,840,076 times across 175,160 chapters — 2.301% of every word in the library.
It belongs to the first 100 words, the band worth learning before any other.
What it means
determiner
- used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
a in real books
Each sentence below was written by a published author and is taken from a different book in our library. Open one to read the passage it came from, with narration.
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His face clouded over for a minute, and he slightly sighed.
Christian's Mistake · Dinah Maria Mulock Craik · Chapter 1
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The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things.
The Picture of Dorian Gray · Oscar Wilde · Chapter 1
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Brant was a senior and a "Bones" man, and so had a leading part to play in the afternoon's drama.
The Courage of the Commonplace · Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews · Chapter 1
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The love of mimetic representation, either as a participant or as a spectator, is an ineradicable instinct of childhood and adolescence.
The White Christmas and other Merry · Walter Ben Hare · Chapter 1
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Each rose from a little log cabin clinging to the side of a little hollow at the head of a little creek.
The Heart of the Hills · John, Jr. Fox · Chapter 1