Comments on: Inserting random letters into acronyms to make pronounceable words http://www.ev4.org/wordpress/2007/06/13/inserting-random-letters-into-acronyms-to-make-pronounceable-words/ Just another WordPress weblog Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:33:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jeremy Eble http://www.ev4.org/wordpress/2007/06/13/inserting-random-letters-into-acronyms-to-make-pronounceable-words/comment-page-1/#comment-413 Jeremy Eble Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:32:24 +0000 http://www.ev4.org/wordpress/2007/06/13/inserting-random-letters-into-acronyms-to-make-pronounceable-words/#comment-413 Actually, acronyms are typically defined as being pronounceable initialisms, so SQL is only an acronym if you pronounce it like "sequel". You're also wrong in saying that those of us who do pronounce it as a word are adding letters to it. I write it "SQL", and I pronounce it "sequel", I'm not adding letters to it, I'm interpreting the letters given in the initialism. Which brings me to my last point: has there ever, in the history of ever, been a case where someone pronounced SQL instead of saying the letters that someone else misinterpreted them? No. That would be, to use one of your categories, idiotic. And what really gripes me is people complaining about phantom letter sounds being added to speech when they add actual letters to their writing. "Vowel" has one l. Actually, acronyms are typically defined as being pronounceable initialisms, so SQL is only an acronym if you pronounce it like “sequel”. You’re also wrong in saying that those of us who do pronounce it as a word are adding letters to it. I write it “SQL”, and I pronounce it “sequel”, I’m not adding letters to it, I’m interpreting the letters given in the initialism. Which brings me to my last point: has there ever, in the history of ever, been a case where someone pronounced SQL instead of saying the letters that someone else misinterpreted them? No. That would be, to use one of your categories, idiotic.

And what really gripes me is people complaining about phantom letter sounds being added to speech when they add actual letters to their writing. “Vowel” has one l.

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