Why is it an LA fitness loophole not a LA fitness loophole? Blog Discussion

Former_MSE_Archna

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's "Why is it an LA fitness loophole not a LA fitness loophole?" blog. Please read the blog first, as the discussion follows it.

Read Martin's "Why is it an LA fitness loophole not a LA fitness loophole?" Blog

Alfie_E

Yes. It’s determined by how we pronounce it, rather than how we spell it. Which is why it’s an umbrella, but a unicycle. Right, I’m off for my meeting with an UN envoy…

wonka

"...who's spelling starts with..." aaaaarghh!! No no no!

It should read "...whose spelling starts with..."

chas49

wonka wrote:

"...who's spelling starts with..." aaaaarghh!! No no no!

It should read "...whose spelling starts with..."

and Martin has also invented a contracted form of "may have" = "may've".

Yuk!!!

masonsuk

Hmm, I'm not sure about this Martin. It's a good idea, and I'm certainly no English expert, so I could easily be wrong, but what about this example. Letter x, the 2 letter spelling I assume would be "ex", so that would mean "an" not "a", but surelly its a xylophone, not an xylophone.

Alfie_E

Martin was talking about initialisms. If you have a word that starts with a separately spoken letter X, it’s “an”. For example, it’s an x-ray. Take “Road Traffic Accident”. That becomes an RTA. Many people in the UK will speak out the letter R as one single vowel sound.

To show that the general a/an rule has absolutely nothing to do with spelling, it’s a Ouija board.

michelley

Yes - it's to do with pronunciation of the SOUND that follows a/an

an umbrella - because the sound is u
a university - because the sound is yu

Be careful when using H though as this is pronounced aitch not haitch as many people seem to think:

So you would have an HND qualification (correct), not a HND qualification (incorrect)

MSE_Martin

Pants - my theory was wrong.....

Dan29

"LA" isn't an acronym, it's an abbreviation

"ISA" = acronym as you say it as a word.

"FSA" = abbreviation as you say the initials.

annie-c

MSE_Martin wrote:

Pants - my theory was wrong.....

Not sure whether your hypothesis was right or wrong... but I think it was a hypothesis rather than a theory :rotfl:

Valentine_x

I always wondered why it was AN MP! I'm still not sure I understand though!

Valentine xxx