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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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a unrecoverable

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE 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

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

The Economist

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

The New Yorker

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

The New York Times

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".

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

The Guardian

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.

Any surging or turbo lag would be unsettling, and would send an SUV into an unrecoverable spin.

News & Media

Forbes

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

The New York Times

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

Huffington Post

Severe, relentless, devoid of ambient comfort, it was an eerie approximation of an unrecoverable past.

News & Media

The New Yorker

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

The New Yorker
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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.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

How to use

Learn how to use "a unrecoverable" with practical examples and tips.

How to use

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.

Expression frequency: Missing

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.

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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How to use

Learn how to use "a unrecoverable" with practical examples and tips.

How to use

Most frequent sentences: