Is there some hidden pronounciation rule I’m not aware of? And why do we say F.B.I and not FBI or U.S.B and not USB ?

I know it seems a really silly question seeing the actual situation with the ICE eveywhere on the news… But this really bothers me on why people yell ICE when it’s actually the I.C.E :/.

  • Apepollo11@lemmy.world
    38·
    19 hours ago

    NASA, NATO, Radar, Sonar, Laser, Scuba, AIDS, PIN, SWAT, YOLO, CAD

    The rule genuinely is “if it can be said as a word, it might be said as a word”.

    They’re called acronyms.

    BBC, TV, USSR etc. can’t easily be said as a word - these are just initialisations.

    • N0x0n@lemmy.mlOP
      39·
      19 hours ago

      Okay I get that ! But in the case of the ICE both are actually acceptable.

      I.C.E sounds good so those ICE. I guess in this context as some else said, it’s because they are “ice cold” (in this context).

      Would it be acceptable in a conversation to talk about the I.C.E ?

      • FriendOfDeSoto@startrek.websiteEnglish
        95·
        18 hours ago

        Would it be acceptable in a conversation to talk about the I.C.E ?

        I don’t see anybody getting thrown out of the house for daring to spell out an acronym that is usually pronounced as a word. What kind of people do you hang out with? It might cause confusion but context normally helps.

        If you were speaking of I.C.E. to me I’d punch you in the face. Also if you referred to them as ICE. That’s because I refer to them, correctly, as the SS.

        • N0x0n@lemmy.mlOP
          34·
          15 hours ago

          Hummm

          If you were speaking of I.C.E. to me I’d punch you in the face.

          Why? This is kinda the opposite you said just above

          I don’t see anybody getting thrown out of the house for daring to spell out an acronym that is usually pronounced as a word.

          :/