So: "a NPC" or "an NPC"?

[ReloadPsi]

When abbreviating terms into acronyms, I've noticed a lot of people don't consider how the first letter is gonna be pronounced, so for individual letters starting off with a vowel sound such as "F", "L" or "N" they'll still write "a" instead of "an" under the assumption that the full meaning of said acronym is gonna be sounded out instead of just the letters.

Does anyone else besides me find this annoying?

[Old Manus]

No. Become an hero.

[Ramza Beoulve]

That's actually not a problem for me (me being mexican, speaking and reading spanish all day and the like), but yeah, I sometimes I wonder myself why you write that... well, like that.

[Madame Adequate]

I don't know the specifics, but as far as I recall from when I once looked into this, it is gramatically correct to write as if the acronym will be pronounced in its expanded form, not as an acronym.

[Rainecloud]

I hadn't even noticed, actually.

:/

[MJN SEIFER]

I know exatctly what you mean Psi. I first noticed when ever I talked about a RPG... Or is it an RPG?

[Evastio]

I find it more confusing than annoying because either way can be right or wrong.

[rubah]

an obviously. Otherwise it's not conducive to speaking.

[Leeza]

I do notice when it's a instead of an and I type it as an if that is what is needed. :cat:

[Tavrobel]

I type as I speak, because it's easier to do so. Vowel sounds > consonants.

[Dolentrean]

An. Grammer FTW!

[Aerith's Knight]

i just make it up as i go

[oddler]

What MILF said. As long as the length of the acronym is pronounced, a RPG would be grammatically correct.

Not that I agree with that. If you're going to write an acronym, you're going to say the letters, dur. I don't follow the rules because I write an RPG. :greenie:

[XxSephirothxX]

Since I pronounce NPC as "en pee cee" and not "non player character," it is an.

[Skyblade]

Since I pronounce NPC as "en pee cee" and not "non player character," it is an.

Exactly. Acronyms are pronounced as acronyms, and the word before it should reflect that. Both RPG and NPC would have "an" before them. If you type out "non player character" or "role playing game", then feel free to use "a", otherwise, "an" is the grammatically correct choice.

Of course, this is an internet forum, so any expectation of proper grammar is rather ridiculous.

[Chimp]

An NPC.

[Denmark]

An. Grammer FTW!

Kelsey?

I type as is conducive to effective speaking. Thus, "an NPC".

[rubah]

conducive to speaking.



conducive to <del>effective</del> speaking.
we am we.

[41-Inches-Wide]

An en pee shi!
Ugh. I sound azn. :mad2:

[blackmage_nuke]

You all confuse me, I go for "one npc"

[Peegee]

An en pee shi!
Ugh. I sound azn. :mad2:

I thought you were azn :mad3:

[Madame Adequate]

Writing isn't meant to be conducive to speaking, however sensible that might be. Writing is meant to be conducive to grammatically correct writing. :count: :mad17:

[No.78]

It's either

An NPC

or

A non playable character.

DUH

[Madame Adequate]

It's either

An NPC

or

A non playable character.

DUH

Except if you read NPC you're still supposed to say Non Player Character.

[No.78]

What, I always say NPC.

[NeoCracker]

It's either

An NPC

or

A non playable character.

DUH

Except if you read NPC you're still supposed to say Non Player Character.

In all technicality your suppose to say whatever is on the paper. If it reads NPC, its said En - pee - see.

It's no different then abriviations and conjunctions. If it reads "It's" it is not pronounced "It is:", it's pronounced "it's."

[Rengori]

An. Grammer FTW!

GRAMMAR. :mad2:

On topic, what everyone else said.

[Lawr]

It annoys me when people write something like a RPG, it feels weird too.

AN RPG

DUH

Kathryn FTW

[edczxcvbnm]

I use "a" and "an" just like I would for any other word. I also don't care that I do it wrong.

[Heath]

'An NPC' sounds nicer to me if it's pronounced as an acronym. If I were speaking, I would say 'an' and so I tend to write it that way. If I were to expand the acronym and say 'non-player character' then of course, I would shove an 'a' before it.

[BardTard]

I think it's annoying how the people who made the English alphabet and every english word made it so... strange. I much prefer Japanese.

I never really think about these things. I'd just say the words rather than abbreviating them if it doesn't make sense.

[41-Inches-Wide]

An en pee shi!
Ugh. I sound azn. :mad2:

I thought you were azn :mad3:

Not azn! :mad23453534534:

Also, I don't use 'A' when saying acronymned 'NPC' or 'RPG'. It makes you sound like a dolt.

[Loony BoB]

As far as I'm concerned, if you're going to write it as an acronym then you should read it as an acronym. If you want it to be read as the expanded form of the acronym, then write it as the expanded form. It only makes sense.

[Jessweeee♪]

I say an NPC because it just sounds weird if you use "a."


...I think this has something to do with being left-handed.