How to use the definite and indefinite articles ‘the’ and ‘a’ in English

Learn the rules for how to use 'a' and 'the'. These resources make it easy to understand!

In English, the word 'a' is called the 'indefinite article' and the word 'the ' is called the 'definite article'.

If your native language doesn’t have these words it can be difficult to understand how to use them. Even if your language has similar words, the rules for using them are probably different in English.

Resources to help you learn how to use ‘a’ and ‘the’ correctly in English:

• Articles cheat-sheet - a simple diagram of rules to follow, to choose the right word.

• Articles course - A free course containing video lessons and quizzes, so that you can learn and test yourself.

• After learning the rules, use the app Spoken to practice writing or speaking. The app will tell you if you make mistakes with 'a' or 'the' or with anything else!