With reference to the use of the indefinite article, 'a' or...

FAQS.ORG makes no guarantees as to the accuracy of the posts. Each post is the personal opinion of the poster. These posts are not intended to substitute for medical, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. FAQS.ORG does not endorse any opinion or any product or service mentioned mentioned in these posts.

<< Back to: The alt.usage.english FAQ

[ Home | FAQ-Related Q&As | General Q&As | Answered Questions ]

Question by iainthepict
Submitted on 2/4/2004
Related FAQ: The alt.usage.english FAQ
Rating:	Rate this question:
With reference to the use of the indefinite article, 'a' or 'an', which would one use in front of an abbreviation such as SME (small to medium enterprise)? Of course, it's "a small to medium...", but is it "an SME"?

Answer by charlie
Submitted on 2/15/2004
Rating:	Rate this answer:
'an SME' sounds right and runs smoothly, whereas 'a SME' does not. So, it's 'an SME', as far as I'm concerned.

Answer by bwest3
Submitted on 2/21/2004
Rating:	Rate this answer:
a: use before a words that begin with consonants, or words that have initial vowels that sound like consonants. an: use before words that begin with vowels, and words that begin with a silent h.

Answer by Lwithmin
Submitted on 2/22/2004
Rating: Not yet rated	Rate this answer:
It happens because of the way you say SME. The aspiring S sounds as if there is a vowel before it and is therefore treated as a vowel. So you say AN SME, and not A SME. ANS M E A S M E Difference is one extra syllable.

Answer by Keith
Submitted on 3/10/2004
Rating:	Rate this answer:
SME are letters not words. The words are "ess", "emm" and "ee". Clearly, then, you would say "an ess emm ee" just by applying the normal rules.

Your name or nickname:
If you'd like to create a new account or access your existing account, put in your password here:
Your answer: