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Subject:Re: "a" versus "an" with an acronym From:Beth Agnew <bagnew -at- INSYSTEMS -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 19 Nov 1997 07:45:14 -0500
On Tuesday, November 18, 1997 4:41 PM, Mike Ingram [SMTP:MIngram -at- SCIENTECH -dot- COM] wrote:
> Here's another slant to this. What do you _read_ when you read the acronym?
> For instance, if you see "A N.Y. Yankee won the batting title this year."
> Do you read N.Y. or New York? I think most everyone would read New York,
> thus an "a" would be used. And in an example used earlier, would people
> read "MSDS" (thus an "an") or automatically read "Material Safety Data
> Sheet" (thus an "a"). Maybe the latter decision depends on the audience?
> Any other slants out there?
Yeah, when the pronunciation changes but the acronym doesn't. Case in point: SQL
It could be Ess Cue Ell or See-quell depending on where it's used, or who's saying/thinking it. What fun!
--Beth
Beth Agnew
Senior Technical Writer, InSystems Technologies Inc.
65 Allstate Parkway, Suite 100 Tel: (905) 513-1400 ext. 280
Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 9X1 Fax: (905) 513-1419 mailto:bagnew -at- insystems -dot- com Visit us at: http://www.insystems.com
