A question of sound, not sight: “A” or “an”

Would you say an NHL referee or a NHL referee? It's an NHL referee. The indefinite article an is used before all vowel sounds except the long u sound (a united stand) and before the silent h (an honourable politician). And since the first letter of NHL makes the vowel sound en, it takes the article an.

Here are some questions to test your knowledge.

1. ATV (all-terrain vehicle)

a

an

2. audit review

a

an

3. hard disk

a

an

4. UN (United Nations) conference

a

an

5. NDP (New Democratic Party) member

a

an

6. hearing

a

an

7. HD (high-definition) television

a

an

8. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) publication

a

an

9. CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) course

a

an

10. FTA (free trade area) tariff

a

an

  

Note: Adapted from Charles Skeete's article "A Question of Sound, Not Sight" in Terminology Update, Vol. 29, No. 3, 1996, p. 14.