# EN: a / an + acronym



## XIII56

First, sorry about the "first letter" word, I'm aware it's familiar and unclear, but it is the only translation offered on WR for _sigle_ ... 

I'd like to know if you make the liaison while refering an expression with its initials.
For example, about a Frequently Asked Question, do you say *a* FAQ or *an* FAQ ?

*Note des modérateurs :* Plusieurs fils ont été fusionnés pour créer celui-ci.


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## jann

This is an interesting question, and not an easy one! 

When you write _Please see the FAQ section_, will people read it aloud (mentally) as 
- "frequently asked questions" 
- "fak" 
- "eff-ay-cue"?  

If they will read it as "frequently asked questions" or "fak" then you would use the article "a" because it starts with a consonant sound.  But if they will tend to read out the letters of the acronym then you will need "an" because "eff-ay-cue" begins with a vowel sound.  

If the acronym begins with a vowel that is not U, you will use "an" because regardless of how you read it (as an acronym or as actual words) the first sound will be a vowel sound.  
EDIT -- Notes:  (1.) Words that start with U fall into two categories:  those that begin with a consonant sound ("you") and require "a" vs. those that start with a vowel sound (a shwa, or "ooo") and require "an."  However, for acronyms that start with "U," you will always use "a" because the letter U is pronounced "you" and thus starts with a consonant.  See mtmjr's post below.  (2.)  Notice that words starting "eu" have a y-sound at the beginning and thus take "a"... but the acronyms that represent these words start with E ("eee") and therefore take "an" if/when they are read out as letters.

Fortunately, the names of most consonants begin with consonant sounds (the letter B = a bee, the letter C = a cee, etc).  So many acronyms that begin with a consonant will always use "a".... but a few consonants that are problematic because the names of these letters start with a vowel sound: F,H,L,M,N,R,S,X.

If you invent the acronym yourself (for a business report, for example) and it starts with a problematic consonant, you may choose a/an - and you will thus affect how people read your acronym (as words vs. as letters).  

If the acronym already exists, the article may be determined by common usage.  We say "a SCUBA diver" because SCUBA (self contained underwater breathing aparatus) is always read as "skooba" and never as "ess-see-you-bee-ay"!  

To get back to FAQ, I don't know if there is a common usage.  I think I would write "an FAQ entry" (pronounced "an eff-ay-cue entry") to talk about an item on the FAQ list... but if I were speaking of a common question, without reference to the FAQ list, I would definitely say, "yours is a frequently asked question" and never "yours is an FAQ"!


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## Tim~!

Excellent response, jann.

Funnily enough, I'm someone who speaks about "faks", so I would say "update a FAQ list".

The brief answer to the question is that it depends on what you pronounce.  If you pronounce the word with a vowel sound at the beginning, you use 'an'.  If it's not a leading vowel sound, you use 'a'.


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## mtmjr

In my head, I say "fak", and thus would use "a". Also, the only exception to the "use "an" before an acronym that begins with a vowel" is when the vowel is "U" and is pronounced with a "y" sound as in "united" or "utopia". (Although, I can't really think of an applicable acronym to exemplify the situation.)


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## jann

mtmjr said:


> Also, the only exception to the "use "an" before an acronym that begins with a vowel" is when the vowel is "U" and is pronounced with a "y" sound as in "united" or "utopia". (Although, I can't really think of an applicable acronym to exemplify the situation.)


Good point!  

Examples:  
a US citizen (United States) --> read "a you-ess citizen"
a UN mandate (United Nations) -->  read "a you-enn mandate"
a UC Berkeley student (Univeristy of California at Berkeley) --> Read "a you-cee Berkeley student"


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## XIII56

Yes, my question was about these problematic consonants ...
Now the problem is to guess if people spell the acronym or not (like here, if they say _a faq_ or _an eff-ay-cue_, and they seem to say both) 
but it gave me anwers.

As you said jann, it was a difficult question and I wasn't expecting so detailed explanations, so many thanks to all ... 



jann said:


> Fortunately, the names of most consonants begin with consonant sounds (the letter B = a bee, the letter C = a cee, etc). So many acronyms that begin with a consonant will always use "a".... but a few consonants that are problematic because the names of these letters start with a vowel sound: F,G,H,L,M,N,R,S,X.


I was reading again your answer and ... why G ?


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## Flowers for Kartini

Hello,

Which is correct?:
1) an EU citizen
2) a EU citizen

Thank you.


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## bjankovic

In English? You would say either "a citizen of the EU" or "an EU citizen". One or the other.


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## sethmachine

It depends on whether you read EU as European Union or as seperate letters E U.  
A European Union Citizen
or An «EU» citizen.


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## dasubergeek

I know this thread is old, but in case it comes up later, I wanted to add that you can more or less force the issue by writing "an F.A.Q." (with the periods) -- this is the signal to spell out the letters, thus rendering the pronunciation "enn eff ay kew".


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## Gabv

Hey guys,

Here my question: why do we write an SSN or an LLM (=Master of Law) instead of a SSN or a LLM?

I don't get it. Many thanks for your help.
Sincerely
Gab


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## quinoa

It's a question of pronunciation because when you say an /el el em/ or an /es es en/, the sound made by S or L begins with the vowel-sound /e/. As it is a vowel you  have to use determiner "an" and not "a".
Is it an answer to your question?


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## Thomas1

This is all in spite of the fact that we begin prnouncing the full forms: Legum Magister or Social Security Number with a consonant.


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## radagasty

Gabv said:


> an LLM (=Master of Law)


 
Just a minor point: an LLM is a _Master of Laws _(plural) as Thomas pointed out.


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## LILOIA

It depends on what you hear, not what you see : an "ES" (S), but a YOU (U)


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## AudricChalon

Hello everybody, 

I would like to know what sounds the best in my case (NIALM is an abbreviation meaning Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring).

"Implementation of *an or a* NIALM method"

I tend to say an but I am not sure at all.


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## jetset

Devant une consonne c'est "a".


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## AudricChalon

Mais comme NIALM est un acronyme ne serait-ce pas "an"?

On dit bien "an FBI agent" et pas "a FBI agent" et je ne comprend pas la différence avec mon cas à moi.


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## atcheque

Bonjour,

Si c'est un *acronyme*,  cela se prononce /nialm/ donc avec _a_.
Si c'est un *sigle*, cela se prononce /en-ai-.../ donc avec _an_ comme pour /ef-bi-ai/


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## AudricChalon

Merci beaucoup, c'est très clair maintenant. Je pensais qu'un acronyme se prononçait comme un sigle. Il ne me reste plus qu'à savoir comment se prononce NIALM


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