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If in the context of a technical document in prose, "LHS" is used as a shorthand for "left-hand-side" and "RHS" is used as a shorthand for "right-hand-side" should these abbreviations be preceded by "a" or "an"?

For example, should this:

In other words, an LHS look-up is done when a variable appears on the left-hand side of an assignment operation, and an RHS look-up is done when a variable appears on the right-hand side of an assignment operation.

...be changed to:

In other words, a LHS look-up is done when a variable appears on the left-hand side of an assignment operation, and a RHS look-up is done when a variable appears on the right-hand side of an assignment operation.

Jonathan.Brink
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    Depends on pronunciation. If you pronounce LHS as three letters, then it begins with a vowel sound, and you say "an LHS". If you pronounce it as "left-hand side" then it begins with a consonant sound, and you say "a left-hand side". So use whichever you want, depending on how you pronounce it. But do not correct someone else's text! – GEdgar Jul 02 '16 at 00:26

2 Answers2

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While agreeing with previous comments and answers, in your case it should always be an "an" because the pronunciation of LHS and RHS (not expanded) begins with a vowel sound. Refer to http://www.englishpage.com/articles/a-vs-an.htm. I say always for this case because, if you wrote it in abbreviated form, you also intend the reader to read it as such, with no expansion. And then, there is no way I can see that readers can read these abbreviated forms like words in their own right beginning with a consonant sound.

alwayslearning
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I spell out abbreviations when reading, so I would proceed both of these with 'an.'

Zachary
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