A MNer or an MNer?

[DevonFolk]

A LP or an LP?

If you say the initials in your head i.e. em-enner/el-pee then it would be an presumably. But if you see an abbreviation and read it as the full word or words i.e. Mumsnetter/Lone parent, then it would be a.

So which is accurate?

In speech, I would definitely go with 'an'.

In text, I tend to see 'a' (in this sort of scenario), so it's to be interpreted as the full word or words; I would assume that is the correct version but either version is acceptable to me.

Does anyone refer to them as 'long plays' anyway? Like CD, I expect they have become the de facto name and it's acceptable to interpret as is, rather than the long form.

Hmm... you wouldn't say 'em en er', would you? I wouldn't as it's more of a typing abbreviation than a spoken one.

I also can't believe that any one has ever said "an em-en-er" out loud. It's a written abbreviation for a Mumsnetter. By contrast, I'd say "an MNHQ representative"

you wouldn't say 'em en er', would you?

We should all be thankful the initials aren't the other way round

Very good WMittens. I thought you meant we should be grateful we're not NetMumsers... then I said it and realised!

WMittens

I always read it as a M(ums)N(etter) and lengthen it in my heard when written. As I don't really talk about MN in RL the other doesn't apply!

As I don't really talk about MN in RL the other doesn't apply!

The first rule of MN is you don't talk about MN.

The second rule of MN...

Surely it's only ever "an" if the next word starts with a vowel or an H?
A cat, an hotel, a dog, an egg.

Yet again I am not going to contribute to this thread other than to laugh at WMittens' jokes.

You always say 'an' before a vowel sound - not a vowel itself.

E.g An 'e'L.P An 'e'MNer

Whereas university, although starting with a vowel, is pronounce 'Yooniversity' - so sounds like it begins with a consonant. It would therefore be 'A university' not 'An university'.