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    Articles before acronyms/initialisms

    Discussion in 'Hardware Components and Aftermarket Upgrades' started by anseio, Jul 12, 2011.

  1. anseio

    anseio All ways are my ways.

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    Ok, so I joined the Chicago Manual of Style hoping to find their definitive stance on my question and they do!

    I could never figure out if if have "a" SSD or "an" SSD, given that SSD spoken aloud is "ess, ess, dee".

    Per C.M.O.S 10.9:
    Thought I'd share my find in case anyone else is interested/curious.

    :D
     
  2. pmassey31545

    pmassey31545 Whats the mission sir?

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    I actually find this kind of information intersting. Good find. Now----see if you can find out why abbreviation is such a long word!?
     
  3. tilleroftheearth

    tilleroftheearth Wisdom listens quietly...

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    So, which is it?

    (If it isn't 'an SSD' then they're wrong. :) ).
     
  4. anseio

    anseio All ways are my ways.

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    It's "an" SSD.
     
  5. pmassey31545

    pmassey31545 Whats the mission sir?

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    It's "an" Ess Ess Dee (SSD). That is what the article is saying. The use of the letter 'a' or word 'an' would depend on how the acronym was 'spelled'. 'An' aych im O-HMO or 'a' Yu Eff O-UFO. I guess. I don't know cause then NAACP don't work and neither does LOOM (whatever that is). Who knows. Just say whatever.
    Like a guy told me the other day-I said 'AIN'T' and he said that isn't a word. Then I said "I guess it is. It just came out of my mouth".
     
  6. tilleroftheearth

    tilleroftheearth Wisdom listens quietly...

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    Nah, just cause you can say it - it still ain't a word. ;)
     
  7. anseio

    anseio All ways are my ways.

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    When LOOM is an acronym pronounced as "loom', then the article used it "a". When it's used as an initialism and pronouned Ell, Oh, Oh, Emm, then the article is "an".

    NAACP would also be "an".

    Pretty much, it's based upon the sound of the noun. NASA is spoken as a word, so the N is treated as a consonant and its given the article "a". Were NASA spoken as letters, it would use "an".

    You've also got dictionaries to back you up on "ain't" being a word. Colloquialisms rock!
     
  8. zippyzap

    zippyzap Notebook Consultant

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    Information overload? This thread brought to you by Bing. The Decision Engine.

    :D
     
  9. Syberia

    Syberia Notebook Deity

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    I pronounce it however it sounds right, technical grammar be damned.
     
  10. anseio

    anseio All ways are my ways.

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    But some of us have this question and wanted to know. It's nice that you may not care. If you don't, then this thread was not intended for you.