'A' vs 'an' follows sound, not letters. Since 'university' starts with a 'yoo' (consonant) sound, which article is right: '___ university'?

"A university" is correct because English article choice depends on the sound that follows, not the letter. Although "university" starts with the letter U, it's pronounced with a "yoo" sound, which functions as a consonant sound, and consonant sounds take "a" rather than "an."

"An" would be correct before a word starting with a vowel sound, like "an hour" or "an umbrella," but "university" doesn't qualify because of its consonant-like "yoo" pronunciation. "The" is a definite article used for specific, already-known things, not the general reference being made here.

This sound-based rule also explains oddities like "an honest man" (silent h, vowel sound) versus "a house" (h is pronounced), proving that English article rules track pronunciation far more reliably than spelling.