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How do you pronounce the acronym AKA (also known as)?

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4 Answers

up vote 25 down vote accepted

I pronounce it ay-kay-ay /ˌeɪkeɪˈeɪ/. Or I just say, "also known as".

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up vote 6 down vote

I say A. K. A. (like Reg posted at the same time) http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/aka

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@Jasper Loy: Also interesting. I've heard it occasionally as /ækæ/ but never with a long vowel. – user1579 Mar 1 '11 at 15:13
ækæ would be /ˌeɪkeɪˈeɪ/ or a fast A.K.A. as I posted, no? – mplungjan Mar 1 '11 at 15:15
No, [æ] is a short vowel as in "cat" rather than the diphthong /eɪ/ as in "hay" – user1579 Mar 1 '11 at 17:06
up vote 1 down vote

AKA is an abbreviation, not an acronym. Acronyms are pronounced as words (i.e. SCUBA); Acronyms are a type of abbreviation., but generally abbreviated words are read one letter at a time.

AKA is an initialism, which is read one letter at a time.

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3  
Close but not quite. Words read one letter at a time are called initialisms. You said "abbreviated words are read one letter at a time." Abbreviated words (abbreviations) include both acronyms and initialisms. – Robert Cartaino♦ Mar 1 '11 at 18:06
up vote 0 down vote

I pronounce it "acker". (Silent R of course.) Simple, quick, just like how I say "fack" for FAQ.

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How hard is it,to say "Eff Ae Cue"?! :D – abhiii5459 May 29 '11 at 7:41
1  
@abhiii5459 - Don't you mean "How FAQing hard is it?" – MT_Head Jan 17 at 1:58

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