Re: "a" versus "an" with an acronym

[Christopher Carmichael <chrisc -at- SYNERGYMICRO -dot- COM>]

At 12:50 PM -0800 11.18.1997, Hillary M. Russak wrote:
>I'm creating documents which contain the commonly-used (in my field)
>acronym, "MSDS" (for Material Safety Data Sheet).
>
>In referring to the MSDS, should I use "an MSDS" or "a MSDS".
>


From the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel manual:

a, an:  Use the article a before consonant sounds: a historic event, a
one-year term (sounds as if it begins with the letter w), a united stand
(sounds like you).

Use the article an before vowel sounds: an energy crisis, an honorable man
(the h is silent) an NBA record (sound as if it begins with the letter e),
an 1890s celebration.

<<Of course, your style may be different, recycle your electrons, and
objects in this monitor are closer than they appear.>>


Best!



+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Chris Carmichael             I've been reformatted with new ideas,    |
| Synergy Microsystems          however the file allocation table is     |
|     San Diego                               corrupt.                   |
|  619.452.0020 x227                                                     |
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