Is it HR or an HR, little bit confusing!!!
By RUBESH
@Manasha (2735)
Pondicherry, India
July 15, 2020 3:52am CST
I recently came across writing an email about the Human Resources department to my higher official. I got confused about what to be used before HR. Is it right to use
an HR, the HR, an HR professional, HR professional, an HR manager, or HR manager
Kindly add your inputs
6 people like this
8 responses
@owlwings (43910)
• Cambridge, England
15 Jul 20
The confusion arises because 'HR' stands for 'Human Resources' but is actually pronounced 'aitch-ah' (or 'aitch-are', if you're American and pronounce the 'r' in words like 'are'), so it begins with a vowel and therefore the correct indefinite article for it is 'an'. When 'Human Resources' is pronounced in full, it begins with a consonant, so you would use 'a'.
"An HR problem" and "A Human Resources problem" would be the correct way to write each variant.
As far as your email is concerned, the following forms would be usual:
"The HR department", "an HR professional", "the HR staff", "the Head of HR", "an HR manager" and so on. You can replace 'HR' with 'Human Resources' in full, if you wish, but if it is clear what you are talking about, it is quite normal - especially in speech and in an email or other informal documents - to use the abbreviation.
3 people like this
@piyushbhatia1 (11695)
• India
15 Jul 20
Since H has e sound hence an is used. While human does not have e sound thus a is used.
1 person likes this
@piyushbhatia1 (11695)
• India
16 Jul 20
@myklj999 I feel like it would be better to ask the HR how to address him or her.
@Lakshman15 (2662)
• India
15 Jul 20
Sorry my friend, I am poor in English Grammar
1 person likes this
@Suhendra7 (494)
• Indonesia
15 Jul 20
I think I'll used " the HR" If I talk straight about him / her, but if not maybe Ill use " An HR" But dont count on me, Im not good at grammar
1 person likes this