Grammar question regarding acronyms

[audiobottle]

Here’s something I’ve wondered about for a while now. Say you’re writing a sentence with an acronym in it. Say that acronym spells a word, like HALO (High Altitude Low Opening). Since HALO, when pronounced halo, starts with a consonant, do you put a single “a” in front? Or do you put an “an” in front because when you say H-A-L-O it has a vowel sound in the front?

Which is correct?

1. I’m going to do a HALO jump! (pronounced halo)

2. I’m going to do an HALO jump! (pronounced H,A,L,O)

This might not be a good example since HALO might be commonly referred to as halo, but you can imagine having a new, less commonly used acronym that could be put in instead.

[Acsenray]

The key is sounds, not letters. If “HALO” starts with a vowel sound then use “an.” If it starts with a consonant sound then use “a.”

Thus, both of your examples are correct. It all depends on how you are pronouncing “HALO.”

[Left_Hand_of_Dorkness]

[From this website:

Use an in place of a when it precedes a vowel sound, not just a vowel. That means it’s “an honor” (the h is silent), but “a UFO” (because it’s pronounced yoo eff oh). This confuses people most often with acronyms and other abbreviations: some people think it’s wrong to use “an” in front of an abbreviation (like “MRI”) because “an” can only go before vowels. Poppycock: the sound is what matters. It’s “an MRI,” assuming you pronounce it “em ar eye.”

This jibes with my intuition and [url=http://ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/abbreviations.htm#acronyms]with this website](http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/a.html#a).

Daniel

[Left_Hand_of_Dorkness]

Worst. Coding. EVAR!

From this website:

Use an in place of a when it precedes a vowel sound, not just a vowel. That means it’s “an honor” (the h is silent), but “a UFO” (because it’s pronounced yoo eff oh). This confuses people most often with acronyms and other abbreviations: some people think it’s wrong to use “an” in front of an abbreviation (like “MRI”) because “an” can only go before vowels. Poppycock: the sound is what matters. It’s “an MRI,” assuming you pronounce it “em ar eye.”

This jibes with my intuition and with this website.

Daniel

[audiobottle]

Ah, thanks. I figured that the sound was probably it, but it’s always good to know for sure.