an successful

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an successful" is not correct in written English.
It should be "a successful" because "successful" begins with a consonant sound. Example: "She is a successful entrepreneur who has built several thriving businesses."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

12 human-written examples

How to guarantee real-time and accurate interfaces of data sharing and exchange is crucial to an successful system.

IERI Procedia

As Billick noted, it is rare to think of an successful coach and not immediately think of a quarterback who helped him reach the pantheon.

The New York Times - Sports

Born the younger son of an successful East German hardware store owner, he later changed his birth name (Horst Paul Albert Bohrmann) to avoid confusion with the Nazi leader Martin Bormann.

The Guardian

His Master's thesis "A Symbolic Analysis of Relay and Switching Circuits" is an (successful) attempt to use Boole's algebra to analyze relay-switching circuits, while his doctoral thesis deals with population genetics.

Cryptographic Boolean Functions and Applications

After becoming an successful stockbroker, she earned enough to retire in her 40s.

Forbes

In case of an successful identity check the resource generates a symmetric key, encrypts it with the π-Box's public key and hands it over to the π-Box.

Journal of Cloud Computing

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

48 human-written examples

From an idea to a successful business.

Forbes

O.K.: A successful woman carries a briefcase.

The New York Times

"A good fit is a successful manager.

BBC

Not a successful actor.

The New Yorker

A successful "I Do!

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use the article "a" before words that begin with a consonant sound, such as in the phrase "a successful venture". Using "an" before a consonant sound is a common grammatical error.

Common error

Avoid using the article "an" before words that start with a consonant sound; instead, use "a". For example, it should be "a successful project", not "an successful project".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an successful" functions as a noun phrase modifier, attempting to describe something as having achieved a favorable outcome. However, it's grammatically incorrect. As Ludwig AI states, the correct form is "a successful" due to the consonant sound at the beginning of "successful".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "an successful" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "a successful" because the word "successful" begins with a consonant sound. As Ludwig AI points out, using "an" before a consonant sound is a common mistake. While examples of the phrase can be found, primarily in News & Media and Science sources, these instances do not validate its usage. Instead, it is recommended to use the grammatically correct phrase "a successful" or alternatives like "a prosperous" or "an accomplished" (followed by noun starting with vowel sound) depending on the intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a successful

Corrects the article from 'an' to 'a' to match the consonant sound at the beginning of "successful".

a prosperous

Replaces "successful" with "prosperous", maintaining a similar meaning but using a different adjective.

an accomplished

Uses "accomplished" instead of "successful", highlighting achieved skills and expertise.

a thriving

Uses "thriving" instead of "successful" to describe growth and positive development.

a flourishing

Substitutes "successful" with "flourishing", indicating vigorous growth and prosperity.

a leading

Replaces "successful" with "leading", suggesting a position of dominance or influence.

a top-tier

Uses "top-tier" to convey the idea of being among the best or most successful.

a high-achieving

Replaces "successful" with "high-achieving", focusing on the accomplishment of goals.

a victorious

Substitutes "successful" with "victorious", implying triumph and conquest.

a boom

Replaces "successful" with "boom", implying a vigorous growing phase.

FAQs

What is the correct article to use before "successful"?

The correct article to use before "successful" is "a" because "successful" begins with a consonant sound. The correct phrase is "a successful".

Is it ever correct to say "an successful"?

No, it is not correct to say "an successful". The article "an" is used before words that begin with a vowel sound, not a consonant sound.

What are some alternatives to saying "a successful"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "a thriving", "a prosperous", or "an accomplished" (if followed by noun starting with vowel sound).

How can I remember to use the correct article "a" or "an"?

Remember that "a" is generally used before consonant sounds and "an" before vowel sounds. Consider the sound of the word immediately following the article, not just the letter. For instance, "an hour" (vowel sound) versus "a house" (consonant sound).