A SEO or an SEO … ? 60-second fix

SEO (search engine optimisation) is pretty high on everyone’s business agenda these days. If you haven’t already, you’ll probably soon be looking for a company or tool that will help you make sure you always appear near the top of the rankings.

But when you do, as our blog reader Mark enquires, are you looking for ‘a SEO company or tool’ or ‘an SEO company or tool’?

Good question, Mark; and one that often comes up with abbreviations.

Fortunately, it’s an easy one to sort out: you just look at the pronunciation of the abbreviation. Although it begins with a consonant, phonetically SEO (ess-ee-oh) starts with a vowel, so you would precede it with ‘an’.

And as a quick reference for the future, abbreviations beginning with A, E, F, H (pronounced ‘aitch’), I, L, M, N, O, R, S and X should be preceded by ‘an’. Those beginning with B, C, D, G, J, K, P, Q, T, U, V, W, Y, or Z will take ‘a’.

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Author: Catie Holdridge

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Catie joined Emphasis with an English literature and creative writing degree and a keen interest in what makes language work. Having researched, written, commissioned and edited dozens of articles for the Emphasis blog, she now knows more about the intricacies of effective professional writing than she ever thought possible.

She produced and co-wrote our online training programme, The Complete Business Writer, and these days oversees all the Emphasis marketing efforts. And she keeps office repartee at a suitably literary level.