Re: [PATCH] tree-wide: trivial: s/ a SPI/ an SPI/

From: Mark Brown <broonie@kernel.org>
To: Geert Uytterhoeven <geert@linux-m68k.org>
Cc: Tudor Ambarus <tudor.ambarus@linaro.org>,
	trivial@kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
	dri-devel@lists.freedesktop.org, devicetree@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-iio@vger.kernel.org, linux-input@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-leds@vger.kernel.org, linux-media@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-renesas-soc@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-arm-kernel@lists.infradead.org, linux-mmc@vger.kernel.org,
	netdev@vger.kernel.org, linux-spi@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-doc@vger.kernel.org, linux-acpi@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-gpio@vger.kernel.org, alsa-devel@alsa-project.org,
	linux-mips@vger.kernel.org, linux-mtd@lists.infradead.org,
	linux-wireless@vger.kernel.org, chrome-platform@lists.linux.dev,
	linux-rtc@vger.kernel.org, linux-fbdev@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-staging@lists.linux.dev, linux-usb@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] tree-wide: trivial: s/ a SPI/ an SPI/
Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2023 11:47:57 +0000	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <Y9z0bQ8TeFROA0Fj@sirena.org.uk> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <CAMuHMdVeDbTGLBAk5QWGQGf=o6g25t341FjGTmNsHw0_sDOceg@mail.gmail.com>

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On Fri, Feb 03, 2023 at 11:28:03AM +0100, Geert Uytterhoeven wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 3, 2023 at 11:17 AM Tudor Ambarus <tudor.ambarus@linaro.org> wrote:

> > The deciding factor for when a/an should be used is the sound
> > that begins the word which follows these indefinite articles,
> > rather than the letter which does. Use "an SPI" (SPI begins
> > with the consonant letter S, but the S is pronounced with its
> > letter name, "es.").

> While I agree with your pronunciation, I believe the SPI maintainer
> (which you forgot to CC) pronounces it in James Bond-style, i.e. rhymes
> with "spy" ;-)

Yes, I do.  To the best of my knowledge most people just say "spy"
rather than pronouncing the letters or anything.

In any case as I said in reply to one of the individual patches English
isn't regular enough to go with hard and fast rules on anything, and the
letter rule is much more commonly used where something is needed.  Using
an here looks wrong to me, and the fact that a is so widely used does
suggest that usage has escaped whatever rule there is.

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