Pronouncing initialisms/acronyms (was: e-mail)

Subject: Pronouncing initialisms/acronyms (was: e-mail)
From: David Ibbetson <ibbetson -at- IDIRECT -dot- COM>
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 1996 17:33:19 -0500

Cathy Krusberg asks:

>To anyone out there who would use "an you-are-ell" -- how
>about FAQ: is it "an eff-ay-cue" or "a fack"?

I say you-are-ell and fack.

As far as I can remember I was responsible for:
>>>I pronounce URL as you-are-ell, because that seems the natural way to
>>>me. If I'd heard it spoken before I saw it in print I might pronounce
>>>it differently.

I fully agree with the rule that a or an is determined by how you pronounce
what follows and agree that difficulties arise when one has only met
acronyms and words of non-obvious pronunciation in print. That's how I met
URL and FAQ.

David (nobody trusts idiots) Ibbetson

David Ibbetson Phone (416) 363-6692
ibbetson -at- idirect -dot- com Fax (416) 363-4987
133 Wilton Street, #506
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5A 4A4


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