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Subject:Re: "a" versus "an" with an acronym From:Matt Ion <soundy -at- MAIL -dot- BC -dot- ROGERS -dot- WAVE -dot- CA> Date:Tue, 18 Nov 1997 22:34:09 -0800
On Tue, 18 Nov 1997 12:50:04 -0800, 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".
>
>What say ye?
I'd say it depends on how the acronym is *usually* or *commonly*
pronounced. The basic rule for "an" is not to preceed a vowel with it,
but a vowel SOUND. Your computer, for example, might have a "scuzzy"
(SCSI) interface, rather than an "ess-see-ess-eye" interface, but it may
be an "em-ess-DOS" (MS-DOS)-based platform.
In the case of MSDS, I assume it's commonly pronounced "em-ess-dee-ess",
which would warrant an "an".
Your friend and mine,
Matt
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