Dear Mr. S:

You wrote:

>Hi there. I love your website and use it a lot to help my children (and myself).
>However, I cannot find information on this topic.
>What is the proper way to pluralize common terms like VCR, DVD, etc.

>I am of the mind it should be “I have two VCRs in my living room”. This follows the common rule of pluralizing, by adding an “s”.
>Although I have seen it thus: “I have two VCR’s in my living room”. and signs that say “we repair TV’s, VCR’s, Monitors and Computers”.
>It just looks wrong to me.

>Is there a rule?

Good question.

There are two conflicting rules, and neither has won yet. Part of the problem is that acronyms are much more common nowadays than in the past. Some authorities apply the plural of italicized items rule to acronyms, arguing that some acronyms are made up of letters that name themselves (TV, VCR) and need an apostrophe plus “s.” Other authorities argue that acronyms are simply words and should be treated as any other word, adding “s” or “es” as appropriate–no apostrophe needed unless there is a possessive.

While we note both rules in Grammar Slammer, our practice is to use the second rule. One reason is that some word which are acronyms become adopted in such a way that writers and speakers begin to treat them simply as words, often unaware that they are actually acronyms. “Scuba” is a good example. Today you rarely see anyone write “SCUBA diver,” even though “scuba” originated as an acronym.

This rule also makes a distinction between the plural and possessive, which can be important to the reader. We would say, for example, “three TVs” but “your TV’s reception.” The first is plural, and it follows the standard rule of just adding an “s.” The second shows it is a singular possessive with the apostrophe.

Whichever way you choose, be consistent.

We frequently see handmade store signs with apostrophes in their plural words. This shows someone’s lack of understanding of the difference between plurals and possessives. This usually has nothing to do with acronyms: “Banana’s” can be just as common as “TV’s.”

P.S. If you were wondering, SCUBA stands for “self-contained breathing apparatus.”