Abbreviations
Q. I am trying to find out when you write if you say “an MBA” or “a MBA.” Here is the example I’m trying to figure out: He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
A. Write what you say. MBA is an initialism, pronounced “em be ayy” (or something like that). It begins, then, with a vowel sound: write “an MBA.” On the other hand, write “a master of business administration degree.” Initialisms and acronyms are generally intended to be read as such, whereas abbreviations (e.g., 5th St., read “fifth street”) are often meant to conjure the full form.
