article + herb tea

[hela]

Hello,

Would you please tell me which article and which adjective work here and why?

a herb / herbal tea OR an herb / herbal tea

Thank you for your help.

Hela

 

[Grumpy]

In British English, we pronounce the "h" in herb/herbal etc, so it would be "a herb/herbal tea"

 

[MikeNewYork]

Hello,

Would you please tell me which article and which adjective work here and why?

a herb / herbal tea OR an herb / herbal tea

Thank you for your help.

Hela

In AmE, the "h" in herb/herbal is silent. Therefore, we use "an".

 

[emsr2d2]

In AmE, the "h" in herb/herbal is silent. Therefore, we use "an".

That threw me completely the first time I visited America and went out for dinner. After I had ordered my food, the waitress said "Do you want erb toast?" I genuinely had no idea what she was talking about. For a start, we have no such thing as (h)erb toast in the UK. We have garlic bread. So not only was I thrown by the word "erb" which I couldn't equate to anything at all, I wasn't helped by the use of the word "toast" which is simply toasted bread which we normally have for breakfast, not as a side dish with dinner. I only understood when I had another look at the menu and saw the words "herb toast" so I worked it out.

I got my own back in a restaurant a few days later when I actually ordered "one herb toast please". The waitress looked at me completely blankly because for her, the word "herb" with the pronounced "h" was clearly alien.

Such a little thing to cause so much confusion.

 

[MikeNewYork]

That threw me completely the first time I visited America and went out for dinner. After I had ordered my food, the waitress said "Do you want erb toast?" I genuinely had no idea what she was talking about. For a start, we have no such thing as (h)erb toast in the UK. We have garlic bread. So not only was I thrown by the word "erb" which I couldn't equate to anything at all, I wasn't helped by the use of the word "toast" which is simply toasted bread which we normally have for breakfast, not as a side dish with dinner. I only understood when I had another look at the menu and saw the words "herb toast" so I worked it out.

I got my own back in a restaurant a few days later when I actually ordered "one herb toast please". The waitress looked at me completely blankly because for her, the word "herb" with the pronounced "h" was clearly alien.

Such a little thing to cause so much confusion.

It's amazing, isn't it? I am curious about the herb toast. Was it a crostini with olive oil and herbs?

 

[Barb_D]

I have to admit I have never heard of herb toast either!

 

[probus]

There is regional variation in AmE. I believe the more common pronunciation among (north) Americans is erb, but where I live (Toronto) we say herb.

My new fun buddy Forvo shows two Americans saying herb, but three or four saying erb.

 

[Barb_D]

I don't know any Americans who say "H"erb. Where do your H-sayers live?

 

[probus]

Dunno. Forvo does not require them to say. Have a listen for yourself. I think Forvo has the potential to become huge.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's amazing, isn't it? I am curious about the herb toast. Was it a crostini with olive oil and herbs?

If I remember rightly, it was soft square bread which had been sliced, drizzled with olive oil and herbs and then either toasted or baked in the oven. It was crispy/ crunchy on the top and bottom but soft in middle. I can't remember exactly where I was but it was during a trip which covered California, Colorado, Utah, Nevada. I heard the phrase again in a return trip covering Nashville, Montana and SF!

 

[Barb_D]

Sounds yummy, whatever you call it.