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Youssefdir Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

"a user" or "an user"?

Hello,
Do we say "this is a user" or "this is an user"?
  

Top answer

youssefdir Hello,Do we say "this is a user" or "this is an user"? "a user" The initial "y" sound in "user" ( y oo-zer) acts as a consonant, so it's "a" and not "an". Also, "a union", "a uniform", "a university", and so on.

— CalifJim

  • youssefdir Hello,Do we say "this is a user" or "this is an user"?
  • "a user" The initial "y" sound in "user" ( y oo-zer) acts as a consonant, so it's "a" and not "an".
  • Also, "a union", "a uniform", "a university", and so on.
  • CJ
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7 Answers
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youssefdir Hello,Do we say "this is a user" or "this is an user"?
"a user"

The initial "y" sound in "user" (yoo-zer) acts as a consonant, so it's "a" and not "an".

Also, "a union", "a uniform", "a university", and so on.

CJ
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ok with that.
But with UE (user equipment), do we say "a UE" as well?
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youssefdirBut with UE (user equipment), do we say "a UE" as well?
The question shouldn't even come up because you can't use "a" with "equipment". It's an uncountable noun.

It's not "a UE" and it's not "an UE". It's just "UE".

CJ
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That's smart, but UE is a technical term referring to the mobile phone one carries with him, so It's countable I guess.
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youssefdirThat's smart, but UE is a technical term referring to the mobile phone one carries with him, so It's countable I guess.
You've lost me. Either UE is used as "user equipment" or it's used as "mobile phone", so you'll have to provide some sentences you've read or heard that use "UE" the way you are thinking about it.

CJ
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When UE is used it has the meaning of a mobile phone, e.g. "If the UE was in the cell edge then the interference would be high."
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youssefdirthe UE
OK, but your main question was about "a UE" or "an UE", wasn't it?

If UE is used as a countable noun, then you can use the indefinite article and it would be "a", not "an", assuming you pronounce it as "Yoo EE".

CJ
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