> I don't really know why but people "saying" lead or however you want to
> write it
> just plain bugs me. Its a Light Emitting Diode written LED, its all in
> capitals
> its an acronym, unless the acronym actually spells an existing word it
just
> aint
> right to say it.
Thread largely untrimmed for benefit of BCCers
It's not uncommon to "say" acronyms as a word. In fact, there are some
acronyms that are (essentially) never said EXCEPT as a word. No doubt many
are designed that way - a mix of useful words is tossed about until a
euphonically acceptable "word" is arrived at.
An example to make the point is "L.A.S.E.R."
Nobody would EVER call this a ell ay ess ee ar.
"Lazer" is the only game in town (or maybe somewhat different in other
;anguages than English-English :-)
But it is, of course, an acronym for Light Amplification (by) Stimulated
Emission (of) Radiation.
So I suspect that Ell Ee Dee or LED are both acceptable.
Can we think of other acronyms that are never spelt out?
Maybe NASA, UNESCO, NATO, ANZAC (only meaningful down-under (if there, these
days))...
Note that U.N. & the one time U.S.S.R. are ALWAYS spelt out :-)
I once designed a MATILDA
(Microprocessor AMR Tape Incremental Loading data Analyser)
AMR is itself an acronym so maybe it should have been a MAMRTILDA :-)
This read a 7 track 1/2" reel to reel digital data deck using a 6802!
microprocessor by implementing a GPIB subset. I was very proud of it at the
time.
Russell McMahon
_____________________________________
> What an interesting discussion to come up on a tech listserv. After 16
> years of speaking English, as my first language, it wasn't until I was in
> Japan as an exchange student that I learned the an/a rule. It was so
> baffling to me to see a written rule for the use of an/a from the aspect
of
> English as a foreign language. It was some Japanese students that were
> having trouble with this simple grammar structure that asked me which was
> right, and when. I sat there for several minutes running through as many
> combinations of a/an that I could think of, and sure enough, the rule of
'a'
{Quote hidden}> before a consonant sound and 'an' before a vowel was true. I'm sure I
> learned the rule somewhere as a young child, but English was so ingrained
> that I didn't think of that rule explicitly when forming a sentence.
>
> So, if that's the case, then 'Blink an LED" would be correct when
> spelling/sounding out L - E - D
> and 'Blink a LED' would be correct when saying 'lead' (Pb) or 'lead' (long
e
> sound)
>
> I do the long e variation, too many mech-e's around! GRiN
>
> Keith L. Kovala
>
KILLspamklkKILLspam
ksu.edu
>
RemoveMEklkTakeThisOuTrenderedelement.com
>
> > > I have always wondered if the correct term would be
> > >
> > > "Blink an LED" or
> > >
> > > "Blink a LED"
> >
> > I have that problem also with some acronyms. I would say
> > "Blink a LED", though if I were writing officially I might
> > say "Blink some LEDs" or "Blink one LED" just to get rid of
> > this problem. :)
> > --
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