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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