'A LED' or 'an LED'?

IndigoLake · Post by **IndigoLake** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:20 pm

I was writing earlier and found myself typing 'an LED light'. That's how I'd say it if I was speaking. Saying 'a LED' just seems awkward. Try it for yourself!

I'm aware of the whole 'an' before vowels such as an apple or an orange. 'An LED' therefore doesn't seem grammatically correct but still makes more sense to me.

What do you think?

I know, I know. Absolutely fascinating.

dsr · Post by **dsr** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:25 pm

It's based on the sound, not the letter. You wouldn't write "an unicorn", for example, but it's "an honour". Hence "an LED".

ThinLizzy · Post by **ThinLizzy** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:26 pm

I can see what you're saying. As we tend to use LED rather than 'A' Light Omitting Diode. I'd go with 'An LED'.

LeadBelly · Post by **LeadBelly** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:27 pm

It's got to be written "an LED" like you would pronounce it, surely? The letter L is pronounced "el" so has to have "an". (obviously though it would be "a lead pipe").
The a or an grammatical quandary that gets me is when it's before an "h", then it depends on whether the "h" is pronounced or not- but many of us never pronounce "h" at all so I find that tough.

IndigoLake · Post by **IndigoLake** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:28 pm

dsr wrote:It's based on the sound, not the letter. You wouldn't write "an unicorn", for example, but it's "an honour". Hence "an LED".

Nice one, that certainly makes more sense. I think I've heard the 'an honour' example used before somewhere and simply forgotten it. So it's down to the sound then. So would 'an LED' therefore be correct? The reason I ask is because the proofreading software I use is trying to correct it!

Sidney1st · Post by **Sidney1st** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:28 pm

You could always type a light emmitting diode if it helps?

Firthy · Post by **Firthy** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:29 pm

ThinLizzy wrote:I can see what you're saying. As we tend to use LED rather than 'A' Light Omitting Diode. I'd go with 'An LED'.

If it was a Light Omitting Diode it wouldn't give out any light

IndigoLake · Post by **IndigoLake** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:30 pm

Sidney1st wrote:You could always type a light emmitting diode if it helps?

It doesn't help but thanks

It won't matter either way but I was curious as to why it was being corrected by my software.

ThinLizzy · Post by **ThinLizzy** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:30 pm

Oh FFS! Light EMITTING lol

IndigoLake · Post by **IndigoLake** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 1:30 pm

ThinLizzy wrote:Oh FFS! Light EMITTING lol

Easy enough mistake to make to be fair

Maybe you need an LED light over your keyboard

evensteadiereddie · Post by **evensteadiereddie** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 4:07 pm

Or an LOD light....

FactualFrank · Post by **FactualFrank** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 4:20 pm

LeadBelly wrote:It's got to be written "an LED" like you would pronounce it, surely? The letter L is pronounced "el" so has to have "an". (obviously though it would be "a lead pipe").
The a or an grammatical quandary that gets me is when it's before an "h", then it depends on whether the "h" is pronounced or not- but many of us never pronounce "h" at all so I find that tough.

I'm not sure LeadBelly has led the best example here.

LeadBelly · Post by **LeadBelly** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 4:37 pm

Aye- I'm led to the conclusion that my answer went down like a lead balloon.

duncandisorderly · Post by **duncandisorderly** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 4:38 pm

I've got a holiday coming up. < 4 pints
I've got an ollyday coming up. > 5 pints

Man of Kent · Post by **Man of Kent** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 4:40 pm

duncandisorderly wrote:I've got a holiday coming up. < 4 pints
I've got an ollyday coming up. > 5 pints

Will you be staying in an hotel (as some people insist is correct)?

BFCmaj · Post by **BFCmaj** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 4:53 pm

LeadBelly wrote:It's got to be written "an LED" like you would pronounce it, surely? The letter L is pronounced "el" so has to have "an". (obviously though it would be "a lead pipe").
The a or an grammatical quandary that gets me is when it's before an "h", then it depends on whether the "h" is pronounced or not- but many of us never pronounce "h" at all so I find that tough.

H is correctly pronounced aitch and not haitch unless you are a weirdo.

Greenmile · Post by **Greenmile** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 4:58 pm

Man of Kent wrote:Will you be staying in an hotel (as some people insist is correct)?

"An hotel" is correct because the "h" isn't aspirated (pronounced). It's because it comes from French, I think.

BFCmaj · Post by **BFCmaj** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:15 pm

Greenmile wrote:"An hotel" is correct because the "h" isn't aspirated (pronounced). It's because it comes from French, I think.

Words such as hotel and historic do have an aspirated 'h', but people in the 19th century who tried to sound posh dropped their aitches (copying French pronunciations). This is why people still say "an hotel" and "an historic". The correct pronunciation should be "a hotel" and "a historic".

cloughyclaret · Post by **cloughyclaret** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:25 pm

'An' historic, it drives me barmy when I hear that.

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:28 pm

A no. Me two.

wickdkewlclaret · Post by **wickdkewlclaret** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 6:38 pm

Sorry to butt in, but why were you writing about LEDs Indigo?

IndigoLake · Post by **IndigoLake** » Fri Apr 21, 2017 10:14 pm

wickdkewlclaret wrote:Sorry to butt in, but why were you writing about LEDs Indigo?

It's a contract for which I have to buy some buyer's guides for different DIY products (usually power tools such as corded drills and wood routers). I do wonder how I acquire such work when I come up with questions such as in this thread but I'm happy to admit I don't know everything

basil6345789 · Post by **basil6345789** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:41 am

We should preserve reeght pronunciation. Pisses me off that Metro Elitists have developed the knack of destroying all things proper by abusing all definite and indefinite articles but what the swines do to really wind me up is use "ae" all the time, that is when the southern pricks aren't starting every sentence with "so". **** em.

tybfc · Post by **tybfc** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 8:39 am

Where is spades when you need her to answer this question?

spadesclaret · Post by **spadesclaret** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 9:23 am

tybfc wrote:Where is spades when you need her to answer this question?

She's here reading everyone's responses and feeling redundant

Greenmile · Post by **Greenmile** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 9:59 am

BFCmaj wrote:Words such as hotel and historic do have an aspirated 'h', but people in the 19th century who tried to sound posh dropped their aitches (copying French pronunciations). This is why people still say "an hotel" and "an historic". The correct pronunciation should be "a hotel" and "a historic".

But if the word comes from the French, isn't it "correct" to copy their pronunciation? One would pronounce pizza as "peetsa" like the Italians do, and "faux pas" doesn't sound like "forks paz".

A quick Google search seems to suggest that "an hotel" (my preference) is a bit old fashioned, but I'm fine with that.

BFCmaj · Post by **BFCmaj** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 10:17 am

Greenmile wrote:But if the word comes from the French, isn't it "correct" to copy their pronunciation? One would pronounce pizza as "peetsa" like the Italians do, and "faux pas" doesn't sound like "forks paz".

A quick Google search seems to suggest that "an hotel" (my preference) is a bit old fashioned, but I'm fine with that.

But (unless we say it in a Lancashire accent and drop our aitches) we do pronounce the 'h' when we say hotel.

BFCmaj · Post by **BFCmaj** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 10:18 am

Greenmile wrote:But if the word comes from the French, isn't it "correct" to copy their pronunciation? One would pronounce pizza as "peetsa" like the Italians do, and "faux pas" doesn't sound like "forks paz".

A quick Google search seems to suggest that "an hotel" (my preference) is a bit old fashioned, but I'm fine with that.

But (unless we say it in a Lancashire accent and drop our aitches) we do pronounce the 'h' when we say hotel.

Greenmile · Post by **Greenmile** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 10:40 am

I don't think that I do.

BFCmaj · Post by **BFCmaj** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 10:42 am

Do you pronounce station as stashon then?

Greenmile · Post by **Greenmile** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 10:49 am

No. fair point. I suppose there's no golden rule and perhaps it depends on how long ago the word entered into the English language, but does that mean at some point in the future, we'll be eating "pizzers"? I hope not.

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 10:50 am

Back to the light.........did you actually buy one in the end ?

BFCmaj · Post by **BFCmaj** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 10:54 am

I think you're missing the point Greenmile. If you do drop the aitch and say "an 'otel" as we do in lanky dialect then that's fine and that would be correct with your theory. It's when people say "an hotel" or "an historic" with aspirated aitches that sound peculiar. Not as annoying as people saying "haitch" though! Coincidentally, aitch is also from the French.

Greenmile · Post by **Greenmile** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 11:06 am

We can agree there. I don't think I ever pronounce / aspirate the "h" in hotel (whether this is because of an understanding of the etymology of the word, or just lazy "h"-dropping, I couldn't honestly say) and "an hotel" with an aspirated "h" just sounds wrong. I also share your dislike of "haitch".

On reading the above, I realise that "honest(ly)" is another word with a silent "h" for me. Is that universal? I don't think I've ever read "a honest mistake" for example.

Hipper · Post by **Hipper** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:07 pm

Language is a living thing and we shouldn't get to het up about these things.

duncandisorderly · Post by **duncandisorderly** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 12:10 pm

An het or A het?

A net or Annette?

Greenmile · Post by **Greenmile** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 1:17 pm

Hipper wrote:Language is a living thing and we shouldn't get to het up about these things.

*too

Hipper · Post by **Hipper** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 8:45 pm

Could I use predictive text as an excuse?

.....get too het up'. No!!! Oh well.

dsr · Post by **dsr** » Sat Apr 22, 2017 11:25 pm

Greenmile wrote:But if the word comes from the French, isn't it "correct" to copy their pronunciation? One would pronounce pizza as "peetsa" like the Italians do, and "faux pas" doesn't sound like "forks paz".

A quick Google search seems to suggest that "an hotel" (my preference) is a bit old fashioned, but I'm fine with that.

The French have absolutely no jurisdiction over how we use the words we have borrowed from their language.

It's the same principle as the panini controversy, where snooty clever dicks say that you must have one panino, two panini. They're wrong - they're confusing the Italian word panino / panini, with the English word panini / paninis.

Vegas Claret · Post by **Vegas Claret** » Sun Apr 23, 2017 1:11 am

lighting industry calls in "an Led"

1fatclaret · Post by **1fatclaret** » Sun Apr 23, 2017 8:17 am

Vegas Claret wrote:lighting industry calls in "an Led"

Call it a sodding bulb and be done with it!

duncandisorderly · Post by **duncandisorderly** » Sun Apr 23, 2017 9:26 am

You plant bulbs.

Claret&Green · Post by **Claret&Green** » Sun Apr 23, 2017 9:35 am

Greenmile wrote:"An hotel" is correct because the "h" isn't aspirated (pronounced). It's because it comes from French, I think.

Sorry but I think you're wrong there as most people would stay in a hotel, rather than an 'otel.

spadesclaret · Post by **spadesclaret** » Sun Apr 23, 2017 10:00 am

Do you say an hour or a hour?

What about an honour or a honour?

Whether you say an hotel or a hotel depends on whether you drop the 'h'. I always say an 'otel. Others say a hotel. It would seem to be a matter of choice.