TextRanch

The best way to perfect your writing.

Discover why 1,062,726 users count on TextRanch to get their English corrected!

1. Input your text below.
2. Get it corrected in a few minutes by our editors.
3. Improve your English!

One of our experts will correct your English.

an sos vs a sos

Both 'an SOS' and 'a SOS' are commonly used, but 'an SOS' is more correct because the pronunciation of the acronym starts with a vowel sound. The choice between 'a' and 'an' depends on the sound that follows, not the actual letter.

Last updated: March 19, 2024 • 5727 views

an sos

This is correct. 'An SOS' is more appropriate because the pronunciation of the acronym starts with a vowel sound.

Use 'an SOS' when referring to the distress signal. The choice of 'an' is based on the pronunciation of the acronym, not the actual letter.

Examples:

Please send an SOS signal immediately.
An SOS call was received from the stranded hikers.
The ship sent an SOS message before it sank.
An SOS was heard over the radio.
The pilot transmitted an SOS to indicate an emergency.

Show examples from the web [+]

The first ship to transmit an SOS distress call appears to have been either the Cunard liner RMS Slavonia on June 10, 1909, according to "Notable ...
Apr 10, 2009 ... My brother said, "Hey, did you know they are sending out an Sos? ... is it really " sending out an sos" ? it sounds like "send me now an sos" for ...
Feb 23, 2010 ... I'll send an SOS to the world. I'll send an SOS to the world. I hope that someone gets my Message in a bottle. A year has passed since I wrote ...
Send an SOS to the mainland to tell them that we are sinking! SOS أنْقِذونا!: نِداء اسْتِغاثَه SOS SOS SOS das SOS SOS ΣΟΣ SOS ; llamada de socorro SOS, ...

Alternatives:

a distress signal
a call for help
a plea for assistance
a distress message
a signal of distress

a sos

This is correct. 'A SOS' is also commonly used, but 'an SOS' is more appropriate due to the pronunciation of the acronym.

While 'a SOS' is used by some speakers, 'an SOS' is more widely accepted. Stick to 'an SOS' for formal or correct usage.

Examples:

The ship sent a SOS signal before it sank.
A SOS call was received from the stranded hikers.
Please send a SOS message immediately.
A SOS was heard over the radio.
The pilot transmitted a SOS to indicate an emergency.

Show examples from the web [+]

Thomas A. Sos, MD. Affiliation. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. Primary Specialty. Diagnostic Radiology (Board Certified). Education And Training.
Sailor: "Captain...the ship is taking in too much water..." Captain: "Send a S.O.S. transmition to the base..." Sailor: "Ay-Ay Captain!" by nismoflip6 October 06, ...
Interventional Radiology 525 East 68th Street, Payson Pavilion, 5. New York, NY 10065. P: (212) 746-1866 | F: (212) 746-8463. Call for appointment. (212) 746- ...
MapViewer, Chart Viewer, and Time Controller Portlets deployed on an installation of the ENVISION Portlet container and present in the same page; A SOS ...

Alternatives:

a distress signal
a call for help
a plea for assistance
a distress message
a signal of distress

Related Comparisons

What Our Customers Are Saying

Our customers love us! We have an average rating of 4.79 stars based on 283,125 votes.
Also check out our 2,100+ reviews on TrustPilot (4.9).

"Thank you!"
Sachi Nakama July 2024
"I have literally been through chat, PI, claude, bard and bing and I got conflicting answers! Thank you! Human intelligence reigns!"
Retha July 2024
"Faster than AI"
CYNTHIA December 2023
"This was very helpful and I personally think this site is the best."
Kaden October 2023
"It was extremely thorough and very helpful!"
imperialelisa October 2023
"7 years without any disappointment. Always 100% satisfied. You guys are the best in the world at what you do. Thank you so much :)"
Zubair Alam October 2023
"In a world of text messages and online communication, this is great to have as a live tool. Thank you."
Selena October 2023
"Without textranch I would be stuck!"
宏祐 October 2023
"Accuracy and fast response. Personal comments from editor. Thank you."
Clh September 2023
"I wasn't aware of this service, it's fascinating and more reliable than standard IA tools available on the internet"
Arturo September 2023
"The fact that you can get reliable fast feedback on your texts."
Vinicius Antonio August 2023
"you guys are better than grammarly i'm being honest here"
ordinary July 2023
"OMG! This is really good than any other text correction tools I've used so far. Highly recommend this."
Vehan July 2023
"Very fast and accurate. thank you."
mojtaba July 2023
"I love this app because it's help to writing skills all of students ♥️"
Tarisini July 2023
"This was exactly the mistake I was looking for, the wording dind´t sound right at first. Better than grammarly!"
Ente July 2023
"The immediate help that I received was reassuring and very satisfactory. Thanks."
priiiyanshuu July 2023
"this helps A LOT for my studies."
kathnunez02 June 2023
"Woow!! I would never have expected such precision! Thank you soooo much!!"
Berta June 2023
"Real Time Editor and not AI. Many Thanks."
Priya June 2023
"The very first thing excites me about Textranch is how much your editors care."
sepideh June 2023
"The fact that texts are checked by human editors rather than by AI, etc. I appreciate this!"
Анна June 2023
"Feel welcome, immediate response, high quality feedback"
martin.roy June 2023
"This is the best app that I have ever seen"
Burulai May 2023

Why choose TextRanch?

Lowest prices
Up to 50% lower than other online editing sites.

Fastest Times
Our team of editors is working for you 24/7.

Qualified Editors
Native English experts for UK or US English.

Top Customer Service
We are here to help. Satisfaction guaranteed!