The question just came to me a moment ago, and I can't stop agonizing over it.
Definitely.
And I'm reminded of "Mystery Men" when Greg Kinnear is asking what the plural is for "nemesis."
Susan
Though, a good name for some alien might be Kleenexus.
Back on topic (sort of) which is the correct statement: a unique, or an unique?
I think it's a unique, but I'd rather be certain than kind of sure.
"He wrote with a unique style." Of course, this would sound better if it were written as: "His style of writing was unique."
It has to do with how the word sounds when deciding whether or not to put "an" or "a" in front of it. It is hard or soft? (There are some exceptions, but few.)
For example. "He wrote an 'H' on his paper."
When you write out the letter phonetically, it is spelled: AITCH (useful scrabble knowledge here). It's starting syllable is soft. Whereas, "unique" has that "Y" sound at the start.
quote:
"He wrote with a unique style." Of course, this would sound better if it were written as: "His style of writing was unique."
I'd go with the first and avoid the 'was' if at all possible. '[W]rote' is a stronger verb.
quote:
It has to do with how the word sounds when deciding whether or not to put "an" or "a" in front of it. It is hard or soft? (There are some exceptions, but few.)
I've noticed a lot of people always write "an" before words beginning which "h". E.g. "I have a friend who is an historian." Interestingly enough, they never say it that way. Every reference book I've found says this is wrong, although I recall being taught to do it that way at school...
Unique is pronounced with a long U, which is pronounced "you" (consonant sound), hence the article "a" instead of "an" before it.
(I can remember trying to decide whether to go to my daughter's elementary teacher and correct her after my daughter came home with a "long vowel sounds" assignment that taught her to include words with the "oo" sound in the "u" list with those that had the "you" sound. While "oo" is a "long" sound--as in food--and there is a "short" "oo" sound--as in foot--"oo" is not the sound the letter "u" makes when it is saying its own name. I didn't go see the teacher because it is probably not that big of a deal, but it still bothered me.) (Did any of that make sense?)
Using "an" before words starting with "h" is, I believe, somewhat archaic. My guess is that the "h" used to not be pronounced as it is now, and so the words started with a vowel sound.
Usage and pronunciation changes over time. Maybe eventually the very name of the letter "u" will become "oo," all long "u" sounds will be pronounced long "oo," and words like "unique" will have the article "an" in front of them. <shrug>
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(But people don't always speak gramatically correct.)
Susan
[This message has been edited by Kolona (edited August 23, 2004).]
Ralph.
Actually, you should call them "shapersons."
*shrug* 
I'm fighting a head cold. Obviously. Besides, I never claimed to be funny.
PS the forum just told me that my password wasn't correct, but I'm pretty sure it isn't of Sanskrit origin.
While I have you, did you see the article in Reader's Digest (September) about Dr. Silly, the children's therapist who uses puppets, among myriad other props? He was a puppeteer for 20 years who studied at the Institut International de la Marionette and the Institut Fur Therapeutisches Puppenspiels.
Don'tcha love that? Puppenspiels!
Anyway, thought you'd be interested.
(How in the world do you spell 'don'tcha?' Doncha...dontcha...don'tcha...??? And, yes, I know it's not really a word, but I was trying hard to shake Truss.)
[This message has been edited by Kolona (edited August 24, 2004).]
Now, on the more serious question. If we consider that apostrophes are used to indicate missing letters, then I think you could get away with don'cha. However, I had no trouble understanding don'tcha, and it might represent the explosive qualities of the second syllable better.
"Picture a Glockenspiel(sp?)"
They Might be Giants.