Practice
A or an before an acronym?
She is an MBA student, but she sent a URL to the class. The written first letter does not decide the article. The sound at the beginning decides it.
Choose a or an before an acronym by using its first spoken sound instead of its first written letter.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
an MBA and a URL /ən ˌem biː ˈeɪ ænd ə ˌjuː ɑr ˈel/
The short answer
Choose a or an by the first sound you say. Use an before a vowel sound, as in an MBA or an FBI agent. Use a before a consonant sound, as in a URL or a NASA engineer.
Our instructor is an MBA graduate who shared a URL for the course notes.
Why it works: MBA starts with the vowel sound /e/. URL starts with the consonant sound /j/.
5 more examples
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Maya is applying for an MBA program next year.
MBA is read letter by letter. M begins with the spoken sound /e/.
Not this:Maya copied
a URLfrom the program website. What changes: URL begins with the spoken sound /j/, which is a consonant sound. -
An FBI agent spoke to the group.
F is said /ef/, so the phrase begins with a vowel sound.
Not this:
A BBC reporterwaited outside the building. What changes: B is said /bi/, so the phrase begins with a consonant sound. -
A NASA engineer answered the students' questions.
NASA is commonly pronounced as one word, beginning with /n/.
Not this:
An NGO representativejoined the meeting online. What changes: NGO is often said letter by letter, and N begins with /e/. -
He works as a UX designer for a small company.
UX begins with the sound /j/ when the letters are said aloud.
Not this:She gave
an XML fileto the developer. What changes: X is said /eks/, so XML begins with a vowel sound. -
We need an FAQ page for new members.
FAQ is usually said as F-A-Q. Its first sound is /ef/.
Not this:The clinic hired
a UN consultantfor the project. What changes: UN is commonly pronounced with an initial /j/ sound in this phrase.
Read the full guide
Look at the spoken beginning, not the spelling. The letter M is a consonant letter, but its name begins with the vowel sound /e/. That is why English uses an MBA. The letter U can begin with the sound /j/, as in URL, so English uses a URL.
Listen before you choose
The article depends on sound, not on the first letter you see. Read the acronym aloud. If the first sound is a vowel sound, use an. If the first sound is a consonant sound, use a.
An MBA student introduced herself to the class.
M is pronounced /em/, so the phrase begins with a vowel sound.
Which article fits before MBA: a or an?
Use an because MBA begins with the spoken sound /e/.
Use an with letter names that start with a vowel sound
When an initialism is read one letter at a time, listen to the name of its first letter. Letters such as F, L, M, N, R, S, and X begin with vowel sounds when spoken in English.
An FBI agent answered the reporter's question.
F is pronounced /ef/, so an comes before FBI.
We added an FAQ section to the help page.
FAQ starts with the letter name F, pronounced /ef/.
Use a with a consonant sound
Some acronyms begin with a letter that looks like a vowel but starts with the consonant sound /j/ when spoken. U often has this sound in initialisms. Choose a before that sound.
Please send me a URL for the online form.
URL begins with /ju/, so it starts with a consonant sound.
Which phrase is standard: a URL or an URL?
Use a URL because the first spoken sound is /j/.
Treat word-like acronyms as spoken words
Some shortened forms are pronounced as whole words instead of separate letters. Their first word sound decides the article. NASA begins with /n/, so it takes a.
A NASA engineer visited the science museum.
NASA begins with the consonant sound /n/, so use a.
The group invited a UNESCO speaker to the event.
UNESCO is commonly pronounced with an initial /j/ sound, so use a.
Check the pronunciation you mean
A shortened form may be pronounced differently in different places or fields. Your article should match your own spoken version. If you are writing for a broad audience, use a reliable dictionary or organization source to check the usual pronunciation.
She presented an XML document during the workshop.
XML starts with X, pronounced /eks/, so an is the natural article.
What should you check before choosing a or an before an unfamiliar acronym?
Check how the acronym is pronounced, then choose the article that matches its first sound.
Before you go
Remember this
Listen to the first sound of the acronym. Use an before a vowel sound: an MBA, an FBI agent, and an XML file. Use a before a consonant sound: a URL, a NASA engineer, and a UX designer. Spelling is not the deciding factor.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "A or an before an acronym?"
Do I choose a or an by the first letter of an acronym?
No. Choose the article by the first sound you say, not by the first written letter. MBA starts with the letter name M, pronounced /em/, so write an MBA. URL starts with /ju/, so write a URL.
Maya is applying for an MBA program next year.
Why do we say an MBA when M is a consonant?
M is a consonant letter, but the spoken letter name begins with the vowel sound /e/. English uses an before vowel sounds, so an MBA is the usual form. The spelling of the letter does not change the sound rule.
Maya copied a URL from the program website.
Why is a URL correct instead of an URL?
URL is commonly said as U-R-L. The letter U begins with the sound /ju/, which starts with the consonant sound /j/. Use a before that sound, just as you say a university.
An FBI agent spoke to the group.
Does a word-like acronym follow the same article rule?
Yes. Use the first sound of the word-like acronym. NASA is usually pronounced as a word beginning with /n/, so a NASA engineer is natural. The fact that the written acronym starts with N is less important than the sound.
A BBC reporter waited outside the building.
What if an acronym has more than one pronunciation?
Use the article that fits the pronunciation you intend. Say the shortened form aloud in the sentence. If the usual pronunciation is unclear, check a current dictionary or the organization that uses the acronym before you decide.
A NASA engineer answered the students' questions.