Robert E Starr JR wrote in a message to ALL:

 RESJ> Here's a grammatical conundrum...

 RESJ> First, does anyone know the rule regarding using "a(n)" before a
 RESJ> word starting with the letter "h"?

"An" is used before a vowel or vowel-sounding word, i.e., an epitaph.

 RESJ> I thought "h" were considered to have a noun sound for lack of a
 RESJ> better term and therefore one is supposed to use "an" preceeding
 RESJ> these words e.g. "an hypotenuse" or "an hyperbole" etc.

I think you mean vowel and not noun.  In your two examples above, the
"h" is not silent, therefore "a" suffices.

 RESJ> A newspaper editor friend of mine mentioned that his
 RESJ> understanding was that if the "h" was _not_ silent, then you are
 RESJ> supposed to preceed the word with the article "a" e.g. "a
 RESJ> hard-ass" or "a hypocrite" etc. 

Your editor friend is correct.  The only word that springs to mind this
early in the morning that begins with the letter "h" and where
the "h" is silent is humble.


Regards,

Roger 
--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+