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'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

Mind that apostrophe.
Itsallaguess
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'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316587

Postby Itsallaguess » June 9th, 2020, 6:58 am

Can someone better informed than me please tell me which of the following phrases would be the correct one to use?

Phrase 1 - I own an HYP income portfolio

Phrase 2 - I own a HYP income portfolio

I only ask because we see people on this site using 'an HYP' an awful lot of the time (https://tinyurl.com/yamgf56m), but I'd never think to say anything other than 'a HYP', in the same way as I'd never consider to say anything other than 'a Helicopter'...

Can anyone please help to put this to bed once and for all?

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

GoSeigen
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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316591

Postby GoSeigen » June 9th, 2020, 7:12 am

Itsallaguess wrote:Can someone better informed than me please tell me which of the following phrases would be the correct one to use?

Phrase 1 - I own an HYP income portfolio

Phrase 2 - I own a HYP income portfolio

I only ask because we see people on this site using 'an HYP' an awful lot of the time (https://tinyurl.com/yamgf56m), but I'd never think to say anything other than 'a HYP', in the same way as I'd never consider to say anything other than 'a Helicopter'...

Can anyone please help to put this to bed once and for all?


Both are correct. Live and let live.

Good night.

GS

Dod101
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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316595

Postby Dod101 » June 9th, 2020, 7:23 am

In the same way that some would say 'an hotel' so some would say 'an HYP'. My old father in law was a well educated old style headmaster in a country school and he always used 'an hotel' but I was always taught that the indefinite article 'an' was used only before a vowel such as an apple, so I suppose if you drop the 'h' as some of our English cousins are inclined to do, 'an hotel' or by extension 'an HYP' would be correct.

However I would always opt for 'a HYP'.

Dod

Itsallaguess
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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316598

Postby Itsallaguess » June 9th, 2020, 7:31 am

Dod101 wrote:
My old father in law was a well educated old style headmaster in a country school and he always used 'an hotel' but I was always taught that the indefinite article 'an' was used only before a vowel such as an apple, so I suppose if you drop the 'h' as some of our English cousins are inclined to do, 'an hotel' or by extension 'an HYP' would be correct.

However I would always opt for 'a HYP'.


Thanks Dod - from what I've read online (always dangerous, I know, which is why I've asked here to get a local view...) the general rule seems to be to use 'an' where the following word starts with a vowel, or where the following word starts with a vowel sound, such as 'an hour' - so that general rule would suggest that 'a HYP' is the correct usage...

A vs. An: When to Use A or An in a Sentence -

An is used before words, abbreviations, acronyms, or letters that begin with a vowel sound, regardless of their spelling.

https://writingexplained.org/a-vs-an-difference

Given that HYP doesn't start with a 'vowel sound' (in the same way that 'Helicopter' doesn't start with a 'vowel sound', so we say 'a helicopter', and not 'an helicopter'...), then the above seems to indicate that the correct term is 'a HYP', and not 'an HYP'...

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

kiloran
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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316601

Postby kiloran » June 9th, 2020, 7:40 am

Itsallaguess wrote:Can someone better informed than me please tell me which of the following phrases would be the correct one to use?

Phrase 1 - I own an HYP income portfolio

Phrase 2 - I own a HYP income portfolio

I only ask because we see people on this site using 'an HYP' an awful lot of the time (https://tinyurl.com/yamgf56m), but I'd never think to say anything other than 'a HYP', in the same way as I'd never consider to say anything other than 'a Helicopter'...

Can anyone please help to put this to bed once and for all?

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

Do you own:
  1. A High Yield Portfolio
    or
  2. An HYP (pronounced aitch why pee) portfolio
    or
  3. A HYP (pronounced hip) portfolio

--kiloran

Itsallaguess
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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316603

Postby Itsallaguess » June 9th, 2020, 7:45 am

kiloran wrote:
Do you own:

  • A High Yield Portfolio
or
  • An HYP (pronounced aitch why pee) portfolio
or
  • A HYP (pronounced hip) portfolio


I own the third one, and although of course HYP means 'High Yield Portfolio', I'd be surprised if anyone who ever says 'an HYP' means anything other than your third option as well..

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

monabri
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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316606

Postby monabri » June 9th, 2020, 8:06 am

At the moment, I'd call mine a "LYP"....

swill453
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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316607

Postby swill453 » June 9th, 2020, 8:06 am

I don't own one, but when I read it, it sounds in my head like 'a hype'.

Scott.

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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316613

Postby Arborbridge » June 9th, 2020, 8:40 am

Itsallaguess wrote:Can someone better informed than me please tell me which of the following phrases would be the correct one to use?

Phrase 1 - I own an HYP income portfolio

Phrase 2 - I own a HYP income portfolio

I only ask because we see people on this site using 'an HYP' an awful lot of the time (https://tinyurl.com/yamgf56m), but I'd never think to say anything other than 'a HYP', in the same way as I'd never consider to say anything other than 'a Helicopter'...

Can anyone please help to put this to bed once and for all?

Cheers,

Itsallaguess


You'll not put it to bed forever, but I would always say a HYP because it stands for "High".
There is the possibility that people think of it as "an Aitch-Y-P" which is a valid alternative.

I would not accept that it is equivalent "an hotel" - that would be pretentious moi? The basis for "an hotel" is that is comes from the french where the H would not be sounded, so there is some slight justifcation in that. 'owever, HYP is definitely not french so there's no logical comparison there.

I've just realised though: it would be correct in Estuary English, as in "An 'ype".

Arb.

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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316615

Postby Arborbridge » June 9th, 2020, 8:43 am

Dod101 wrote:In the same way that some would say 'an hotel' so some would say 'an HYP'. My old father in law was a well educated old style headmaster in a country school and he always used 'an hotel' but I was always taught that the indefinite article 'an' was used only before a vowel such as an apple, so I suppose if you drop the 'h' as some of our English cousins are inclined to do, 'an hotel' or by extension 'an HYP' would be correct.

However I would always opt for 'a HYP'.

Dod


Didn't your FiL say "an 'otel"? not "an hotel"??

Arb.

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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316617

Postby GoSeigen » June 9th, 2020, 8:50 am

Dod101 wrote:In the same way that some would say 'an hotel' so some would say 'an HYP'.


With respect it's not the same at all. People write an HYP simply because when they say HYP they spell it out: H.Y.P. and of course the first sound is a vowel sound for some speakers ("aitch", not "haitch"), so naturally they say "an" and not "a". A good analogy might be when a father says to the mother "Do you think Johnny would like an I.C.E. C.R.E.A.M."

The case of "an hotel" is a different matter entirely. H in some cases sounds more like a vowel and in others more like a consonant (when more strongly aspirated). People who have been taught to pronounce H in "hotel" more like a vowel would precede it with "an", whereas those (like me) who pronounce it more like a consonant prefer "a".


GS

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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316621

Postby scrumpyjack » June 9th, 2020, 9:02 am

Would you buy an house or a house?

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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316635

Postby PinkDalek » June 9th, 2020, 9:39 am

Agree with GS and it takes two to tango.

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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316651

Postby dealtn » June 9th, 2020, 10:05 am

scrumpyjack wrote:Would you buy an house or a house?


I would rather own an house than an HYP, and on reflection a house over a HYP too.

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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316662

Postby Dod101 » June 9th, 2020, 10:40 am

I think that hotel lends itself to be called an 'otel for some reason, but my mother, who was rather good in the elocution department (not a word I hear a lot these days), certainly taught me and my sister to pronounce the 'h' where ever it occurred and anything else was regarded as slovenly. Hence hotel and a hotel.

GS's argument might have some merit if anyone actually says H. Y. P. It would never have occurred to me to do that but I may be in a minority of one. I would always say and certainly mentally do, say HYP as in hype, quite clearly pronouncing the 'H' in the same way as in hotel.

I cannot say which is correct but I plump for Phrase 2.

Dod

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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316663

Postby tjh290633 » June 9th, 2020, 10:45 am

I run an HYP, which is a High Yield Portfolio. I do not run a hip.

TJH

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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316677

Postby UncleEbenezer » June 9th, 2020, 11:06 am

Wouldn't An HYP be something akin to what a sheepdog might deliver to an errant charge? As in an hyp to the ankle?

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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316679

Postby Itsallaguess » June 9th, 2020, 11:08 am

Dod101 wrote:
GS's argument might have some merit if anyone actually says H. Y. P.

It would never have occurred to me to do that but I may be in a minority of one.

I would always say and certainly mentally do, say HYP as in hype, quite clearly pronouncing the 'H' in the same way as in hotel.

I cannot say which is correct but I plump for Phrase 2.


I think that's perhaps where any differences might perhaps lie Dod, and I'm similar to you but would mentally say 'HYP' as in 'hip', but the end result is the same in that I'd then never consider saying anything other than 'a HYP'.

I had never actually considered that others might mentally spell it out as 'an H.Y.P', and still struggle with the idea of anyone actually doing so...

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#316686

Postby PinkDalek » June 9th, 2020, 11:21 am

Itsallaguess wrote:I had never actually considered that others might mentally spell it out as 'an H.Y.P', and still struggle with the idea of anyone actually doing so...


I don't spell it out as HYP per se but see it as HYP. Thus I'd use an 'an'.

If it were typed hyp, I'd use an 'a'. Similarly if it were typed Hyp.

Interesting subject anyway, as there are plenty of written words I see on TLF that I possibly pronounce, in my head, differently to others on here and do sometimes wonder how others pronounce them.

If I recall any I may mention them on this Topic.

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Re: 'an HYP' vs 'a HYP' ?

#319735

Postby Gengulphus » June 19th, 2020, 11:45 am

kiloran wrote:Do you own:
  1. A High Yield Portfolio
    or
  2. An HYP (pronounced aitch why pee) portfolio
    or
  3. A HYP (pronounced hip) portfolio

None of the above! ;-)

I own a HYP (pronounced hype) - without the word "portfolio" following it, for the same reason that I have a "PIN" for my debit card, not a "PIN number".

Gengulphus


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