Do You Pronounce

[Blount, Patricia A]

Forgive me, coming late to the party, as I am on digest...

I share your pain, as this issue has plagued me since I began writing.
(Our problems began with SQL. Is it 'es cue el' or is it 'sequel'?) 

My own rule of thumb is this: if there are no vowels in the
abbreviation, then it cannot be an acronym, because acronyms are, by
definition, WORDS formed from the initials of letters. Without a vowel,
it's difficult to pronounce it as a word, though exceptions abound,
naturally (SCSI, for one). 

This is why I despise 'sequel', but am forced to use it, as that's a
Microsoft preference. 

I would avoid treating FQDN as an acronym, as the pronunciation of it
can easily trip up the tongue into sounding obscene. If at all possible,
try substituting "the" as the article, to avoid the a/an debate. 

Hope this helps,

Patricia Blount