When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
(OP)
OK, my English teacher sister has given me the "correct" usage, but I can't get myself to do it consistently. I use a lot of acronyms in things I write about. Case in point, RVSS which stands for Reduced Voltage Solid State, as in " they need to use a (an) RVSS starter for that." My sister says that you ignore the sound of the acronym's first letter and use "a" because that is what you would use if you spelled out the entire word-set of the acronym, and since the first word starts with a consonant, you would not use "an Reduced...". My problem with this is that I tend to type as if I were speaking and if I read "a RVSS" out load, it sounds like "ARVSS", which would be confusing.
What do you all do?
What do you all do?
JRaef.com
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RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
However I'm dyslexic, lazy and scraped a C in English so don't take my word for it!
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
Its based upon how you speak it, not the word that it represents.
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
"RVSS" sounds like it starts with the letter "a", which is a vowel, hence you should say "an RVSS".
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
"Can it core a apple?"
was just about the funniest TV moment ever.
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
An RVSS
Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
When I learned english as 2nd language, my teacher was a british. He also taught me how to pronounce "the".
I guess there are 2 ways to pronounce, one is "tha" and the other one is "thee". You use "tha" before a noun that sounds like a consonant. And "thee" if it sounds like a vowel"
"thee" apple, "tha" man, "tha" university, "thee" end.
But i dont think americans use it as much.
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
I've tried saying it quickly, in a Norton voice and with accents. Still didnt' get it
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
Ok, I guess you had to be there. :)
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
I think this is probably true for most native speakers of their own language. When I learned German (long time ago, forgotten since) I was amazed at the way it was full of logical rules (except for all those strong verbs!). I passed my O'level by learning the rules and applying them to a small amount of vocabulary rather than learning to communicate in the language.
I wonder how many young German children think in terms of subordinate clauses requiring verbs to move around and dative/accusative connundrums before they speak?
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
I need a HEPA filter.
I need an aitch e pea a filter.
Just curious.
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
hrm, wonder if an ANSI one splits the tie?
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
Going by the sound of the letter.
An 'A' sounds like aigh - vowell sound (a) so use 'an'.
An 'I' sounds like eye - vowell sound (i) so use 'an'.
A 'C' sounds like see - consonant sound (s), so use 'a'.
A 'U' sounds like you - consonant sound (y), so use 'a'.
One think to keep in mind, if the acronym in an initialism -- each letter spoken individually, then the sound of the first letter is what counts. For example, in the OP, the initialism is RVSS. Each letter is pronounced individually, and since R sounds like 'are', a vowell sound, 'an' is the correct article - an RVSS. However, if the acronym is pronounced as a word, such as RADAR, then the initial letter (not the sound of the letter) controls which article to use - a radar.
Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
the H stands for High. High Efficiency Particulate Air filter. Pronouncing the acronym generally sounds something like "heap-uh" with the first syllable accented. Something that would generally be preceded by an "a" when pronounced (unless you use one of those dialects that drops initial aitches).
So, sometimes pronounced, sometimes spelled. Sometimes "a", sometimes "an". Which would you write?
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
This thread is being more and more confusly, this is my contribution:
A backronym or a bacronym
An acronym
For instance: I saw it in an ANSI code or in a BSI norm based on an EN standard.
After assisting to an ONU resolution I went to a CEE meeting to discuss the task group based in a MACINTOSH system.
MACINTOSH = "Most Applications Crash, If Not, The Operating System Hangs".
Luis
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
so you can say "an" H-E-P-A OR you can say "a" heap-uh. But when you type it, stick with if you were saying what it stands for.
But really, the more I think about it, the more confused I am. So maybe you should go to an english teacher forum and let us know :).
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
Hg
Eng-Tips policies: FAQ731-376
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
NO!. The entire point of using "an" or "a" is to avoid awkward phonetic combinations. As such you have to decide based upon the sound of the next word, not on what the next word stands for.
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
I think COEngineer is standing into danger here. There's one of the more pedantic schools of English Grammar which argues otherwise - hence the ugly, difficult, improbable, but allegedly correct "an hotel".
I've more or less given up worrying which article to use with abbreviations - opinion is so thorougly split on this one that whichever way you go half your audience is going to think you're wrong.
A
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
a HEPA filter (as it is invariably pronounced as "heap-ah" and not because what H stands for)
a hotel
an honest person
a UPS
an umbrella
are correct. I did go to a business writing class and the advise there was to use "an" when the the phonetic sound of the word when pronounced is a vowel. The use of an or a depends on the pronunciation of the word not the spelling.
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
but an uninterruptible power suppply
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
Your advice is wrong.
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
I agree that rbulsara's list is entirely correct.
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
For HEPA, I would use "a", because people pronounce it as like a word, and in doing so the first sound that comes out of their mouth is a non-vowel sound.
I would say "an" RVSS, "an" HPU, "a" CPU, "a" NEMA starter, "an" IEC starter, "an" SMS.
I think it is grammatically correct to go by the sound.
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
As for the HEPA argument, I agree with those that say acronym generally pronounced as words should be treated that way in this context as well. My vote: A HEPA filter...
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms
I read the Usage Guide in the front of a big huge Random House dictionary at my local library and it confirms this; "a" and "an" are based solely on the audible sound of the subsequent word's first syllable, even if that word is an acronym.
Ha! After 45 years of being the subordinate sibling (I don't remember the first 5), I have FINALLY proven my big sister wrong! Truly a red letter day
JRaef.com
"Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems." Scott Adams
For the best use of Eng-Tips, please click here -> FAQ731-376
RE: When to use "a" or "an" with acronyms