writing - Is it "a SSD" or "an SSD"?




Possible Duplicates:
an SQA or a SQA?
Do you use “a” or “an” before acronyms?



Since SSD (solid-state drive) is pronounced es-es-dee, I'm wondering whether one should write "an SSD" or "a SSD".
Saying "a SSD" out loud feels a bit off...



Answer



Definitely an SSD.


The use of a vs. an is always determined by pronunciation, not by spelling. You don’t even need to find acronyms to give examples where they disagree: one would always say/write a European, not *an European, and an honest man, not *a honest man.


The only case where there’s doubt is when pronunciation varies. For instance, with the acronym SCSI, computer professionals usually say “scuzzy”, but non-techies meeting it for the first time usually say “ess see ess eye”. So one might reasonably encounter either a SCSI cable or an SCSI cable, depending on the writer.


However, as you say, SSD is (as far as I know!) always pronounced letter-by-letter; so it’s definitely an SSD.


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