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Re: [jetty-dev] Docs: Bad grammar on home page
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Hello Bob Harner:
We try very hard to write Jetty documentation that is both technically and grammatically correct. Despite our best efforts, sometimes we make mistakes. The instance you cite, however, is neither a typo nor an error. It is correct per
The Chicago Manual of Style Online. The last sentence in Section 5:220 is the most pertinent:
5.72Choosing “a” or “an”
With the indefinite article, the choice of a or an depends on the sound of the word it precedes. A comes before words with a consonant sound, including /y/, /h/, and /w/, no matter how the word is spelled {a eulogy} {a historic occasion} {a Ouachita tribe member}. An comes before words with a vowel sound {an LSAT exam room} {an X-Files episode} {an hour ago}. See 5.220, under a; an.
Section 5:220: a; an. Use the indefinite article a before any word beginning with a consonant sound {a utopian dream}. Use an before any word beginning with a vowel sound {an officer} {an honorary degree}. The word historical and its variations cause missteps, but since the h in these words is pronounced, it takes an a {an hour-long talk at a historical society}.
Likewise, an initialism (whose letters are sounded out) may be paired
with one article while an acronym (which is pronounced as a word)
beginning with the same letter is paired with the other {an HTML website for a HUD program}.
Thank you for your interest and concern.
Best regards,
Shirley Boulay
Technical Writer for Jetty
