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Since I tried Ludwig back in 2017, I have been constantly using it in both editing and translation. Ever since, I suggest it to my translators at ProSciEditing.

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
a unrecoverable
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "a unrecoverable" is not correct in written English. It should be "an unrecoverable" because "unrecoverable" begins with a vowel sound. You can use it in contexts discussing something that cannot be retrieved or restored. Example: "The data was deemed an unrecoverable loss." Alternative expressions include "an irretrievable" and "an irrecoverable loss."
⚠ May contain grammatical issues
News & Media
Science
Academia
Wiki
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources
Similar Expressions
60 human-written examples
Conventional forms of top-down recruitment and mobilisation are, it seems, as passé as conventional politics.In depicting one amorphous abstraction (a "virtual" al-Qaeda) as being at war with another ("the West") in the name of a third (an unrecoverable Islamic caliphate), Mr Devji might appear to be too concerned with smoke and mirrors.
News & Media
But, unlike madeleine-nostalgia — nostalgia for a lost world, an unrecoverable childhood — minutiae-nostalgia is nostalgia for a world that still exists, for a life you're still living.
News & Media
Innsbruck, with its wide monumental squares and Hapsburg-era bombast, seemed less like a living city than it did a dreamscape of an unrecoverable past.
News & Media
With a subsequent update or restore, additional security checks result in an 'error 53' being displayed … If a customer encounters an unrecoverable error 53, we recommend contacting Apple support".
News & Media
If, indeed, a search for authenticity underlies this phenomenon, together with a sense that the folk music revival was a journey into an unrecoverable past and that most rock music was obscure and ephemeral, then there are few figures as authentic or representative as Johnny Cash.
News & Media
Out of options, and in danger of the aircraft rolling into a completely inverted position (an unrecoverable situation which would result in a crash), the crew took the throttle for the left wing-mounted number 1 engine and reduced the power to idle, while also taking the throttle for the right wing-mounted number 3 engine and commanding maximum power.
Wiki
Any surging or turbo lag would be unsettling, and would send an SUV into an unrecoverable spin.
News & Media
A leading theory in the Lion Air crash is that the system was receiving bad data from a faulty sensor, triggering an unrecoverable nose dive.
News & Media
Sometimes you've got to let people fall on their face, scrape their knee, break a few bones, suffer an unrecoverable injury and you not be there to kiss their wounds.
News & Media
Severe, relentless, devoid of ambient comfort, it was an eerie approximation of an unrecoverable past.
News & Media
On December 8th, at the Baryshnikov Arts Center, Pérès and his singers presented Guillaume de Machaut's "Messe de Notre Dame". Severe, relentless, devoid of ambient comfort, it was an eerie approximation of an unrecoverable past.
News & Media
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
Check the sound, not just the letter: while 'university' starts with 'a' because it has a consonant 'y' sound, 'unrecoverable' is purely a vowel sound.
Common error
Do not assume that all words starting with 'u' take 'a' as an article. While 'a uniform' is correct because it sounds like it starts with a 'j', "a unrecoverable" is a mistake because the 'u' represents a short vowel sound. Always use "an unrecoverable" in your writing to maintain professional standards.
Linguistic Context
In grammatical terms, "a unrecoverable" functions as a noun phrase modifier consisting of an indefinite article and an adjective. However, as noted by Ludwig AI, this specific combination is a mistake. The indefinite article 'a' is improperly placed before a word beginning with the vowel sound /ʌ/. In correct usage, as seen in the high-authority examples provided by Ludwig, the article 'an' serves as the determiner for the following adjective.
Frequent in
News & Media
65%
Science
15%
Academia
10%
Less common in
Wiki
5%
Formal & Business
4%
Social Media
1%
Ludwig's WRAP-UP
The search for "a unrecoverable" reveals a common grammatical error. According to Ludwig AI and standard English rules, the indefinite article 'a' should never precede the word 'unrecoverable'. Because the word begins with a vowel sound, it must be paired with 'an'. The correct form, "an unrecoverable", is widely used by prestigious sources to describe everything from aviation disasters and financial collapses to the haunting feeling of a lost past. If you must use the article 'a', consider a different adjective such as "a non-recoverable" or "a permanent" alternative.
More alternative expressions(10)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
an unrecoverable
Correct grammatical form using the appropriate indefinite article for a vowel sound
an irretrievable
Uses a synonym that also requires 'an', emphasizing that something cannot be brought back
an irrecoverable
Nearly identical synonym often used in financial or formal contexts
an irreversible
Focuses on the impossibility of reversing a process or decision
a non-recoverable
Correctly uses 'a' because the following word starts with a consonant sound
a permanent
Replaces the adjective with a common descriptor for lasting states
a lost
Simpler alternative often used for time, objects or opportunities
a terminal
Suggests a final or fatal state, often used in technical or medical contexts
an incurable
Specific to health or systemic problems that cannot be fixed
a hopeless
Adds a subjective or emotional tone to the impossibility of recovery
FAQs
Is it correct to say "a unrecoverable"?
No, it is grammatically incorrect. Because 'unrecoverable' starts with a vowel sound, you must use 'an' instead of 'a'. The correct phrase is "an unrecoverable".
What is the difference between "a unrecoverable" and "an unrecoverable"?
The only difference is grammatical correctness. "a unrecoverable" is a typo or a speech error, whereas "an unrecoverable" follows the English rule of using 'an' before vowel sounds.
Can I use "a non-recoverable" instead?
Yes, "a non-recoverable" is grammatically correct because 'non' starts with a consonant sound. It is a suitable alternative if you prefer using the article 'a'.
What are some synonyms for "an unrecoverable"?
Depending on your context, you can use "an irretrievable" loss, "an irrecoverable" debt or "a permanent" error.
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