an ubiquitous

USAGE SUMMARY

'an ubiquitous' is not correct or usable in written English.
The correct word is 'ubiquitous', which is an adjective meaning 'present or appearing everywhere'. Example sentence: The internet has become ubiquitous in modern society.

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Quercetin is an ubiquitous antioxidant flavonoid.

Life Sciences

Beamforming has become an ubiquitous task in aeroacoustic noise measurements for source localization and power estimation.

Journal of Sound and Vibration

Silver also spends time on how communications is an ubiquitous lever for social change movements.

University of California, Berkeley

But in South America the image has become an ubiquitous Catholic icon.

The Guardian

Years later, the cellphone would become an ubiquitous, multifunctional device that, incidentally, showed the time.

The New York Times

Story" (Def Jam), the longtime support-man 2 Chainz is now an ubiquitous rap commodity.

The New York Times - Arts

Social hierarchy is an ubiquitous principle of social organization across animal species.

European Psychiatry

Interdependency is an ubiquitous concept in project portfolio selection, both at the firm and industry levels.

Computers & Industrial Engineering

Pain is an ubiquitous symptom in osteoarticular diseases, occurring much more commonly than stiffness or disability.

Joint Bone Spine

Mechanical stress is an ubiquitous challenge of human cells with fundamental impact on cell physiology.

Journal of Dermatological Science

This suggests the use of mobile computers, enabling an ubiquitous access to needed data.

International Journal of Medical Informatics

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using "an ubiquitous". The correct form is "a ubiquitous" or simply "ubiquitous". Always check the correct article usage with adjectives starting with a vowel sound.

Common error

Many writers mistakenly use "an" before "ubiquitous" because they incorrectly perceive that "u" always requires "an". Remember that the choice between "a" and "an" depends on the sound of the following word, not just the letter. Because "ubiquitous" starts with a consonant sound (/juːˈbɪkwɪtəs/), the correct article is "a".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an ubiquitous" functions as an adjective phrase attempting to describe a noun. However, Ludwig AI indicates this phrase is grammatically incorrect. The correct form would be either "a ubiquitous" or simply "ubiquitous" depending on the context.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

55%

News & Media

29%

Academia

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "an ubiquitous" appears frequently across various sources as shown by Ludwig examples, it is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI highlights that the correct form is either "a ubiquitous" or just "ubiquitous", as the choice of article depends on the consonant sound at the beginning of "ubiquitous". Usage is most common in scientific and news contexts, aiming to describe something as widespread. Remember to focus on the sound, not just the letter, when choosing between "a" and "an".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a widespread

Replaces "ubiquitous" with a more common synonym and adjusts the article to "a".

a common

Uses a simpler and more direct synonym for "ubiquitous" and adjusts the article to "a".

present everywhere

Replaces "ubiquitous" with a descriptive phrase indicating universal presence and adjusts the article to "a".

found everywhere

Emphasizes the discovery aspect of something being ubiquitous and adjusts the article to "a".

pervasive

Offers a more formal synonym that implies spreading widely throughout an area or group, while the article is missing in this case.

universal

Suggests that something applies to all cases or situations, while the article is missing in this case.

omnipresent

Implies a constant presence everywhere and adjusts the article to "a".

all-over

Simplifies the phrase to indicate that something is present in all locations.

generally

Focuses on the typical or widespread occurrence of something.

across the board

Indicates that something applies to all categories or groups.

FAQs

Why is "an ubiquitous" grammatically incorrect?

The article "an" is used before words that begin with a vowel sound, not just a vowel. Since "ubiquitous" begins with a /ju/ sound (like "you"), it's considered a consonant sound. Therefore, the correct article to use is "a", making "a ubiquitous" the grammatically correct form.

What are some alternatives to using "ubiquitous" in a sentence?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives like "widespread", "common", "pervasive", or "universal".

Is it ever correct to use "an" before a word starting with 'u'?

Yes, it is correct when the word starts with a vowel sound. For example, "an umbrella" is correct because "umbrella" starts with a vowel sound (the 'uh' sound). However, words like "ubiquitous" and "university" start with a consonant sound, so they take the article "a".

How can I remember whether to use "a" or "an" before a word?

Focus on the sound the word begins with, not just the letter. If it's a vowel sound, use "an". If it's a consonant sound, use "a". Pronounce the word aloud to help you decide. For example, "a ubiquitous" because it sounds like "you-bik-wi-tus" and "an unusual" because it sounds like "un-u-su-al".