>>>>It's the same in English- the indefinite article a becomes an before a word starting with a vowel.
>>>>
>>>> For u it depends how it is pronounced - I think
>>>>
>>>>A U-Turn
>>>>An unrelated matter
>>>
>>>On a related note, same goes for words beginning with an aitch - "an honorable exception".
>>>
>>>Btw, a question for the anglophone majority here: is there a word in English which begins with a "u" and has it pronounced as u? Not as uh as in under, not as yoo as in universe, but as u as in butcher, lubricate?
>>
>>urchin (not exactly but fairly close).
>
>No, not at all. Urchin starts with a very soft U. The letter U said by itself is much harsher. It is said like one of the most common words in the language -- you.
>
>I do not envy those who have to learn English as a second language. There may be more exceptions than rules.

I do not envy those who only speak English <g>. Knowing more than one language makes life so much more interesting and fun.