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No it's not a joke and yes it's valid grammar. If you're going to correct someone's grammar, at least know what you're talking about.

https://www.quora.com/Which-one-is-correct-a-history-or-an-h...

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Hmm, if anything that link seems to imply it's invalid - plus it's Quora, not exactly a high quality reference.

The rule is "an" is used in front of a word that starts with a vowel sound[1]. "An hour" is correct because the "h" is silent. All modern (native) English dialects pronounce the "h" in history, ergo "an history" is incorrect grammar.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_articles#Distinction_b...

"In British English, either is acceptable"

from the first sentence.

> Quora

> not a high quality reference

> proceeds to reference Wikipedia

What's your problem with Wikipedia?

none but I wouldn't call it a more reliable source than quora for something like this.

"In linguistics, elision or deletion is the omission of one or more sounds (such as a vowel, a consonant, or a whole syllable) in a word or phrase."

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elision

Well, the grammar rule got a name. It doesn't say whether it applies to "a[n]" history" though.

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