Loosing? Learn the English language, people!

I try not to get annoyed with this kind of shit but these have been bugging me recently:
Upto
Aswell
Everyday instead of 'every day'

oh, I think I smush words together like that all the time...

Is open-ness a word? How should it be written?

Defensively.

c'mon srz now...

'Openness'.

Thanks.

[strike]Thank-you[/strike] Thank you

oh, I think I smush words together like that all the time...

I LOVE that word! According to Urban Dictionary it has a variety of meanings, as you'd expect...

I've got a question...

a vs an?

When to use which?

Or rather, I know to use A when the word following 'sounds like' it starts with a consonant, and to use An when the word following 'sounds like' it starts with a vowel.

With some exceptions for the letter H and U.

Not a problem, but what of acronyms?

For example: a MP3 player sounds wrong, and an MP3 player sounds right.

But I can't find any rule on this, except ones that state that abbreviations and acronyms should normally be expanded in speech and therefore it's "a music" rather than "an music".

Except, no-one expands MP3 when spoken, and to me the "Em" sound of the first letter is what shapes the use of An instead of A.

Does anyone know what the rules are on acronyms and the use of a vs an?

Language is meant to be spoken, so yes. an MP3 player. If you are writing an acronym it will normally be read out as an acronym, whatever the 'rules' state.

No exceptions.
It's an HTFU pill. People who pronouce 'haitch' instead of 'aitch' are just wrong.
and a UPS - U is pronounced 'you', not 'oo', so the 'sounds like a consonant' rule applies.

I usually go with my instinct on these.

an MP3 player

a QC test

a GCSE exam

an AQA exam

a USB cable

As far as I can tell as long as you avoid the Phone Shop-esque 'A OWL!' sound you're good.

'reconise' instead of 'recognise'

respeck

"seckutry" instead of secretary

No exceptions.
It's an HTFU pill. People who pronouce 'haitch' instead of 'aitch' are just wrong.

That seems wrong... a HTFU pill seems right.

It's hard to scream for "no exceptions", it is language.

H on harden is strongly pronounced, it isn't "'arden the fuck up", it is "harden the fuck up"... the strong H means A rather than An.

Maybe the difference is now more subtle... which acronyms, when spoken, would you pronounce as a word (i.e. NASA) or spell out (i.e. MP3) vs the ones where you would expand them (i.e. Harden the fuck up). I mean... who actually says "H T F U" rather than "Harden the fuck up".

If I were writing I would avoid using MP3 and write around it.
I received a digital-music player for my birthday.

Maybe the difference is now more subtle... which acronyms, when spoken, would you pronounce as a word (i.e. NASA) or spell out (i.e. MP3) vs the ones where you would expand them (i.e. Harden the fuck up). I mean... who actually says "H T F U" rather than "Harden the fuck up".
You mean where the "acronym" is not an acronym, but an abbreviation.

It's hard to scream for "no exceptions", it is language.
Quite - this is English. It's all about the exceptions and irregularities.

That seems wrong... a HTFU pill seems right.

See. I would say that using "an" as in "take an HTFU pill." I can see both working.

Now where's Schick to explain the nuances of Der, Die or Das.

Good morning pedants, when I'm writing I like to think that my grammar is relatively decent, however I consistently manage to confuse practice/practise. Does anyone know of a mnemonic I can employ to help me remember which is which?

The 'last night I dreamed' thread has bugged me for years

Good morning pedants, when I'm writing I like to think that my grammar is relatively decent, however I consistently manage to confuse practice/practise. Does anyone know of a mnemonic I can employ to help me remember which is which?
Substitute advice or advise in the same sentence, and change the "s" or "c" accordingly.

Guardian style guide has this to say, and I would agree:

**a or an before H? **

                                                                                                                                                                                                        Use an before a silent H: an heir, an hour, an honest  politician, an honorary consul; use a before an aspirated H: a hero, a  hotel, a historian (but don't change a direct quote if the speaker says,  for example, "an historic"). With abbreviations, be guided by  pronunciation: eg an LSE student                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Also Eightball if you're thinking it should be dreamt, personally I think that's ridiculous, and the Guardian also agree:

dreamed
not dreamt

The Grauniad are correct.

It's not "An otel" you stupid fucking newsreader cunt, it's "A HOTEL" FFS.

Do you have an S.R.M. power meter?
Do you have a stick.

Both nouns begin with S, but you pronounce the letter S "Ess" therefore the acronymic S.R.M begins with a silent "E", which is a vowel, so you can use "An".

But never think you can get away with removing an existing consonant, such as the magnificent "H" in the mighty "Hotel" just to try and crowbar the "an" instead of "a". You will die, horribly and painfully, if I catch you doing that.