6 ms·

[OT] Non-English speaker here. Is there any difference (in grammar and/or meaning) between "an FAQ" and "a FAQ"? I'm asking because it sounds good but it goes a

• geofft 7y ago
  "a" vs. "an" is based on the first sound of the word, not the first letter. You would say "an honor" but "a hair" because, while they both start with the letter h, one has a silent h and the other doesn't. If you pronounce "FAQ" by spelling out the letters (and not like "fack"), it starts with "eff", so you should say "an FAQ." I think that's the pronunciation I usually hear.
  • isostatic 7y ago
    Compare: an SQL command a SQL command
    • geofft 7y ago
      I think I hear both "ess queue ell" and "sequel" for SQL frequently, but "eff ay queue" for FAQ way more than "fack."
      • isostatic 7y ago
        I didn't encounter "sequel" until some years after I encountered "ess-queue-ell" - had no idea what the person was on about to start with. I guess it's one of those things that native English speakers don't even know they know. Like "Fewer tests means Less data", rather than "less tests means fewer data", or "six charming small new round green plastic tables" rather than "six plastic charming green round new small tables".
        • geofft 7y ago
          Or that "the" is pronounced "thuh" before consonant sounds and "thee" before vowel sounds - same rules as "a"/"an" but no difference in spelling!
  • caf 7y ago
    In particular it's "a" if the following word starts with a non-vowel sound, and "an" for a vowel sound.