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Kelly Williamson asked:
>I have a rather silly question that has, nonetheless, been bothering me. I
>had to write "SI" (as in Self-Insured) and I automatically wrote "an SI"
and
>didn't think twice. An associate of mine was reading it and said shouldn't
>it be "a SI". (The same applies to "an MS".)
It's not a silly question. It depends on the sound of the word. The basic
rule is that if the *sound* of the word begins with a vowel, it's "A": if
the initial sound is a consonant, it's "An".
"A euphemism" is a striking example of this. Technically, it begins with a
vowel - therefore it should be "an euphemism". But it's pronounced as if it
began "yew" - therefore "a euphemism" is correct.
SI is pronounced Ess-Aye: therefore, "An SI". But if you see SI and read
"Self-Insured" it should be "A SI". (The same applies to "An MS", as you
observed.)
Which is correct? It depends. If the acronym is effectively a word - if it
is invariably pronounced, never spelt out - then treat it as a word, and use
"An". But if you expect people to see SI and think "Self-Insured" then I
would use "A".
English is bizarre yet strangely charming.
Jane Carnall
Technical Writer, Digital Bridges, Scotland
Unless stated otherwise, these opinions are mine, and mine alone.
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