Browse Definitions :

A homage or an homage?

Writing for Business

Which is correct?
The monument, built to resemble a giant iPhone, was created as _______ to Steve Jobs.
a. an homage
b. a homage


Answer: Either, depending on how you pronounce “homage.”

Explanation:

I pronounce it ohm-ahj, and seeing it spelled as “a homage” makes me hear it in hillbilly. But that’s just me, and I do not rule the Internets.

The New York Times doesn’t either, but they certainly come much closer to global dominance than I do, so let’s see what Ben Zimmer (@bgzimmer) has to say:

The New York Times style guide does not specifically address the word homage, and in such matters the copy desk typically turns to Webster’s New World Dictionary for guidance. As with other leading American dictionaries, Webster’s New World currently recognizes two equally accepted pronunciations of the word: either HOM-ij or OM-ij. Since the pronunciation with “h” is listed first, that would favor “a homage” over “an homage.” (The Times has not been terribly consistent on this score, however. Since 2001, “a homage” has appeared in the paper 500 times, but “an homage” has appeared 407 times.) > Read more

OK. No help there.

The Grammarphobia Blog reports on the increasingly common use of the French spelling, hommage, which would always take “an” as the article because there’s no question about its pronunciation. On the other hand, it may be seen as an affectation beyond that of just pronouncing it in the French manner.  So we’re left with “make your choice and take your chances.”

Let’s try a Google poll:

An homage: 1,680,000

A homage: 978,000

Google poll results fairly decisive – maybe I do rule the Internets, after all. All right then — let’s stick with “an homage,” kids.

Dig Deeper on Writing for Business

Networking
  • packet filtering

    Packet filtering is the process of passing or blocking data packets at a network interface by a firewall based on source and ...

  • WAN (wide area network)

    A wide area network (WAN) is a geographically distributed private telecommunications network that interconnects multiple local ...

  • network protocol

    A network protocol is a set of established rules that specify how to format, send and receive data so that computer network ...

Security
  • FIDO (Fast Identity Online)

    FIDO (Fast Identity Online) is a set of technology-agnostic security specifications for strong authentication.

  • Cloud Security Alliance (CSA)

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) is a nonprofit organization that promotes research into best practices for securing cloud ...

  • quantum supremacy

    Quantum supremacy is the experimental demonstration of a quantum computer's dominance and advantage over classical computers by ...

CIO
  • transaction

    In computing, a transaction is a set of related tasks treated as a single action.

  • lean management

    Lean management is an approach to managing an organization that supports the concept of continuous improvement, a long-term ...

  • device ID (device identification)

    A device ID (device identification) is an anonymous string of numbers and letters that uniquely identifies a mobile device such ...

HRSoftware
  • talent pool

    A talent pool is a database of job candidates who have the potential to meet an organization's immediate and long-term needs.

  • diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)

    Diversity, equity and inclusion is a term used to describe policies and programs that promote the representation and ...

  • passive candidate

    A passive candidate (passive job candidate) is anyone in the workforce who is not actively looking for a job.

Customer Experience
  • product-qualified lead (PQL)

    A product-qualified lead (PQL) is an individual or business that experienced value from using a product as a result of a free ...

  • marketing-qualified lead (MQL)

    A marketing-qualified lead (MQL) is a website visitor whose engagement levels indicate they are likely to become a customer.

  • customer success

    Customer success is a strategy to ensure a company's products are meeting the needs of the customer.

Close