Which seems like the correct article when writing? A '05' code An…

wispering

: wilowisp; June 23rd, 2009

Which seems like the correct article when writing?

A '05' code
An '05' code

I go with the 'an', but maybe that's because I've got some crazy written/audio connection that isn't necessarily universal. Then again, I'm also thinking "oh five" when it could be "zero five". Oh English, you silly bastard child.

7 comments — :

( 7 comments — Light a Lantern )

leighblack

2009-06-23 03:49 pm (UTC)

Option two sounds correct in my head, since I read it is 'oh five'. But if you're writing to techy people, they probably read it as 'zero five' and the first option would be correct. Actually, that's probably the proper form.

atelierlune

2009-06-23 04:08 pm (UTC)

Same here.

If "oh five" then "an"

If "zero five" then "a"

I immediately assumed "oh five".

megspencer

2009-06-24 01:34 am (UTC)

Thirded! Written it might be better to default to the "zero five" since then you're consistently 'saying' numbers, but I'm pretty sure that either is fine.

nightswatch

2009-06-23 04:07 pm (UTC)

Man, only a tool would read that as "zero five," even if they are techy. "An 05" is totally the way to go. Also, I wholly support your written/audio connection, especially in this case -- the a/an distinction seems more closely linked to what sounds natural than almost anything else in our language.

Which is why "an historical" drives me batshit insane every time I see it.