I've read a few tutorials over the last few years on web development subjects and I keep seeing this incorrect grammar for the word html.

People keep writing, for example,

"No. In HTML, both the tag semantics and the tag set are fixed. An <h1> is always a first level heading "

Surely you use, "an" for vowels and, "a" for consonants (for example, an apple, a table.) HTML begins with an "a", as does, "hyper" the first word of the HTML acronym.

Actually that's a bad example, as it uses the h1 tag, but you see the point.

It is also wrong. From Rutgers University

A or An.

Use an in place of a when it precedes a vowel sound, not just a vowel. That means it's "an honor" (the h is silent), but "a UFO" (because it's pronounced yoo eff oh). This confuses people most often with acronyms and other abbreviations: some people think it's wrong to use "an" in front of an abbreviation (like "MRI") because "an" can only go before vowels. Poppycock: the sound is what matters. It's "an MRI," assuming you pronounce it "em ar eye."

Michael J

"but you see the point."
Actually, I do not see the point. You said that the incorrect grammar (which you ironically misspelled as 'grammer') is for the word html. The only context in which I can imagine 'a' or 'an' before the word HTML is in the context of a tag...ie, "An HTML tag." In this case, "An" is correct.

"Surely you use, "an" for vowels and, "a" for consonants "
This is not always true. It's not the letter that follows the article that determines whether it should be 'a' or 'an', it's the sound the first syllable starts with. The classic example is when the word starts with a silent 'h': "It's an honor to meet you", not "It's a honor to meet you". So when verbally pronouncing letters of the alphabet, many of them sound like they start with vowels, even though the letters themselves are consonants: F, H, L, M, N, R, S, X.

So you would say 'An RPG', 'An X-ray', 'An H2', 'An HTML tag', etc.

Of course, this topic probably doesn't belong in this forum and doesn't have anything to do with web development, but since I like English and Grammar I thought it would be fun to reply.

-SN

I think we've beat him up enough. I am also a stickler about grammar and spelling (My biggest pet peeve is people using 'insure' instead of "ensure").

Actually I have never given the A or AN issue any thought. I just used what sounded right. So when i saw this post I knew it didn't sound right and went looking for a more definitive answer.

Michael J

Whoops - I posted same time as you. Didn't see that you had already answered.

I hear you on the insure vs. ensure. I corrected people on it for years until somebody called me on it and pointed out that they are synonyms. Technically, they are usually interchangeable, although it still rubs me the the wrong way.

-SN

Speaking of incorrect, it's also "grammar" not "grammer". =)

SN said that already in Response Number 3 :D

btw, I'm not a native speaker so I'd better keep my mouth shut :D

Doh!! He sure did. That'll teach me to reply right after work when I'm half asleep. :D :D