an whole

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an whole" is not correct in written English.
The correct form is "a whole," which is used to refer to something in its entirety or as a complete unit. Example: "I want to eat a whole pizza by myself."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Academia

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

So I keep talking about this millennial moment as an whole era, not just as a single time.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Wong said the next step would be to conduct more experiments to see if a the mimicking protein could be used as a therapeutic model to treat mice as an whole organism, rather than just cells.

The Washington Post

Burke was well aware of the difficulty: "Seas roll, and months pass, between the order and the execution; and the want of a speedy explanation of a single point is enough to defeat an whole system".

The New Yorker

A battery-operated electronic board has been designed that allows rapid and user-friendly "in-situ" measurements and a prototype of an whole portable and automatic instrument, suitable for in-situ measurements, has been fabricated.

Sensors and Actuators A: Physical

"Like Telltale's The Walking Dead video games, it's able to present us with an whole new cast of characters while demonstrating that it's really the zombified world that that's the star of the show and all that you really need for there to be a spinoff". The Walking Dead has been a huge hit for AMC.

BBC

She named them as "the best double-act ever" and added that they deserved an whole episode dedicated to them.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

A: A whole range.

Johns Hopkins University

A whole week".

The New York Times

A whole year!

Independent

A whole floor!

The New Yorker

A whole year ago.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "a whole" instead of "an whole". The correct article to use before "whole" is "a", because "whole" begins with a consonant sound.

Common error

Avoid using the article "an" before the word "whole". Remember that "an" is used before words that begin with a vowel sound, while "a" is used before words that begin with a consonant sound. "Whole" begins with a consonant sound, so "a whole" is correct.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an whole" functions as a determiner followed by a noun. However, Ludwig AI indicates that it's grammatically incorrect due to the misuse of the article "an" before a word starting with a consonant sound. Correct usage dictates "a whole."

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

43%

Academia

29%

Science

14%

Less common in

Wiki

14%

Formal & Business

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "an whole" is grammatically incorrect, as highlighted by Ludwig. The correct form is "a whole". Although it appears in various contexts, including news, academia, and science, its incorrectness impacts its usability and credibility. Ludwig's analysis emphasizes the importance of using the correct article ("a" instead of "an") before words starting with a consonant sound. When aiming to express completeness or entirety, it's best to opt for "a whole", "an entire", or similar grammatically sound alternatives. Remember, precision in grammar enhances the clarity and impact of your message.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a whole

Replaces the incorrect article "an" with the correct article "a".

an entire

Substitutes "whole" with "entire" while maintaining the indefinite article "an", offering a grammatically sound alternative.

a complete

Uses "complete" in place of "whole", requiring the article "a" for grammatical correctness.

the entirety

Replaces the phrase with a noun form, focusing on the complete nature of something, requiring the article "the".

the totality

Emphasizes the all-encompassing nature of something, replacing the original phrase with a more formal term and requiring the article "the".

a full

Offers a more concise way to express completeness, replacing "whole" with "full", while changing the article to "a".

the aggregate

Replaces the phrase with a term that refers to the sum or collection of something, requiring the article "the".

the integral

Highlights the essential or fundamental nature of something as a complete unit, requiring the article "the".

the unbroken

Implies a state of completeness due to something not being divided or interrupted, requiring the article "the".

a unified

Suggests a state of being combined into one complete entity, changing "whole" to "unified", while changing the article to "a".

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "an whole"?

The correct way to phrase this is "a whole". The article "a" is used before words that start with a consonant sound, like "whole".

When should I use "a whole" instead of "an whole"?

Always use "a whole". The phrase "an whole" is grammatically incorrect. The choice between "a" and "an" depends on the sound that follows, and "whole" begins with a consonant sound.

What are some alternatives to "an whole" that are grammatically correct?

Grammatically correct alternatives include "a whole", "an entire", or "a complete".

Is there a situation where "an whole" would be correct?

No, "an whole" is not considered correct in standard English. Always use "a whole" when referring to the entirety of something.