Initialisms are featured in politics, corporate branding, scientific and medical terminology, and casual conversation alike. Check out how acronyms compare to initialisms. WebFewer examples The plural of an initialism is the initialism plus s. DVD was originally used as an initialism for the unofficial term digital videodisk. Send us feedback about these examples. Email: contact@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email. Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. We cannot reply to individual questions and requests for help. WebExamples of initialisms are: DVD - Digital Versatile Disc CD - Compact Disc ATM - Automated (or Automatic) Teller Machine BRB - Be Right Back NMHU - Not Much What is the difference between an acronym and an initialism? Spell out on first mention and use only if it occurs a substantial number (>3 times) of times (subject to editorial discretion). If youre learning English, youve probably noticed that it comes with quite a few rules As the old rule goes, a noun is a person, place, or thing. But did English has eight types of pronouns, and relative pronouns are one of them. 'UNICEF' is an acronym. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Whether you punctuate or not, be sure to be consistent throughout your document. Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. But, what is the difference between an acronym and initialism? Acronym. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acronym. The key difference between them is that we pronounce acronyms as a word and initialisms as a list of letters. The following are used without spelling out on first mention (list not comprehensive). Start typing in the Filter table box to find anything inside this acronyms list. The first two words are the founders name, Invgvar Kamprad, and the second two refer to Kamprads family farm (Elmtaryd) and hometown (Agunnary, Sweden), National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations, Yet Another Hierarchically Organized Oracle. POTUS President of the United States 2. nov (with organism name), subsp. Avoid excessive abbreviations. A new word formed by joining the start of one word with the end of another. Check out a few initialisms used in the medical field. It isnt usually necessary to use any punctuation, but in US English, it is acceptable to punctuate acronyms with a period after each letter if you wish to. ILY means I love you. HONDA - Hang On, Not Done Accelerating. As a general rule, all non-standard abbreviations/acronyms should be written out in full on first use (in both the abstract and the paper itself) and followed by the abbreviated form in parentheses, as in the American Psychological Association (APA). Both acronyms and initialisms are made up of the first letter or letters of the words in a phrase. NVM means Never mind. However, there are various exceptions to this rulefor example, substances (e.g., LSD) and medical conditions (e.g., RSI). Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips and the author of seven books on language, including the New York Times bestseller "Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing." The word acronym typically applies when the resulting thing can be read as a word; for example, radar comes from "radio detection and ranging" and scuba comes from "self-contained underwater breathing apparatus." This means that they dont have time to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Nice list and fantastic explanation on each acronym. Sometimes we have a lot to say, but little time to say it. Start typing in the Filter table box to find anything inside this acronyms list. Now, its time for acronyms. Some people feel strongly that acronym should only be used for terms like NATO, which is pronounced as a single word, and that initialism should be used if the individual letters are all pronounced distinctly, as with FBI. Acronyms are usually nouns in a sentence. Include A List If Content Relies on Many Acronyms and Initialisms The sixth edition included and sometimes other letters in its definitions for acronyms and initialisms. Yes! WebDefine initialism. Examples of this would be things like RAM (Random Access Memory); LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation); NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), and OPEC (Organization of Include the glossary at the end of the content or on a separate webpage. W3C (n.d.) H28: providing definitions for abbreviations by using the abbr element, Techniques for WCAG 2.0, W3C website, accessed 7 January 2020. Abbreviations can, however, be used in a heading if previously established. Use them only if people recognise and understand them. 2023 LoveToKnow Media. In most cases, initialisms are preceded by an article (i.e., a, an, or the). There are The Chicago Manual of Style, sixteenth edition (2010) briefly addresses the question of whether the spelled-out form of an initialism or acronym should be initial-capped if the short form is capitalized, at 10.6 Capital versus lowercase for acronyms and initialisms:. Technically, these are initialisms, which is a type of abbreviation. They take the place of the words they represent. However, acronyms are pronounced as a word (e.g., PIN), whereas initialisms cant easily be pronounced as a word, so instead, they are spoken as a list of letters (e.g., DVD). Instead, each letter is pronounced separately: FAQ frequently asked questions TBA On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. (American style) Mr Green asked Ms Grey if she had met Dr Jekyl. nucleotide Using Sentence Case for Titles, Headings, and Headlines, 140 Key Copyediting Terms and What They Mean, How to Write a Bibliography For a Science Fair Project, 10 Tips for Using Abbreviations Correctly, Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia, M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester, B.A., English, State University of New York. When you first introduce an acronym or initialism in a piece of writing, you should use the full phrase followed by its abbreviation in parentheses: The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) was founded in 1889. HOLDEN - Hope Our Luck Doesn't End Now. For instance: The BBC received many complaints about the show. Big businesses might use acronyms to make them stand out or just to shorten a long name. Resize your browser to full screen and/or zoom out to display as many columns as possible. CDC twenty four seven. CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. When you say these abbreviations, youll say the full word but you know exactly what they mean in writing. for post script. and cf. TNN was once the Nashville Network, then became the National Network when it deep-sixed its hootenanny programming. Or, it could be shortened to its first letters like NRA for the National Rifle Association. Examples include FBI, CIA, FYI (for your Select the answer that best describes your feedback: I can't find the information I'm looking for. aa (when followed by numbers [absolute or percentage]), BCG (but at first mention specify Mycobacterium bovis BCG), bp, kb, kbp (when used with a numeral, but spell out when not used with a numeral), BSE (can be used in the title if "bovine spongiform encephalopathy" is used in the abstract or, for letters, in the first paragraph of the text; can be used in the running head), CSIRO (The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, the national government body for scientific research in Australia), DNA, RNA, cDNA, mRNA, tRNA, or rDNA (Note: c, complementary; m, messenger; t, transfer; r, ribosomal), EMBL (European Molecular Biology Nucleotide Sequence Database), F, M (male, female; use abbreviations in tables and figures only; write out in text), kbp, kb, and bp (when used with a numeral, but spell out when not used with a numeral), M, F (male, female; use abbreviations in tables and figures only; write out in text), PCR (Also see reverse transcription PCR and real-time reverse transcription PCR in the section above. Spell real-time reverse transcription at first use; use a hyphen in the term real-time, but do not use an en dash between reverse transcription and PCR. University of Chicago (2017) 10.2: Acronyms, initialisms, contractions, Chicago manual of style, 17th edn, University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Abbreviate the following in tables, figures, and in the Methods section of research articles. Initialisms are always written in capital letters, and, like acronyms, they only need periods after each letter if youre following a style guide that requires them. PIN Personal Identification Number How to use acronyms in a sentence? Share Your Feedbackdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a334faeba39e82a3a7d76443395ee419" );document.getElementById("c1b64769ab").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); cronyms, there are 2, 4, 5 and longer acronyms but they dont have acronyms. Home Affairs (Department of Home Affairs), spell out the agencys name in full the first time you use it. Dont place a full stop after the acronym or initialism. When it comes to the wonderful world of abbreviations, they are everywhere. W3C (n.d.) PDF8: Providing definitions for abbreviations via an E entry for a structure element, Techniques for WCAG 2.0, W3C website, accessed 7 January 2020. When shes not writing you can find her watching the latest and greatest movies, listening to a true-crime podcast (or two), blasting 90s music and hiking with her dog, Ryker, throughout the Finger Lakes. WebThese examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'initialism.' These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. OK is technically an acronym. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! Allan M. Siegal and William G. Connolly: Although full first names with middle initials (if any) are preferred in most copy, two or more initials may be used if that is the preference of the person mentioned: L.P. Arniotis, with athin space between initials. for etcetera and Oct. for October; but acronyms are special kinds of abbreviations, such as ROFL(rolling on the floor laughing) and OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries), that can be pronounced as words. Check out a few that you might already know. Finally, theres no strict rule about putting periods after each letter in an acronym or initialism. Her popularLinkedIn Learning courses help people write better to communicate better. B. Cherry (not A.B. Initialisms often appear with periods, which help identify them as initialisms (U.S.A., U.K., etc. The article a or an should match the sound of the abbreviation or acronym, not the word for which it stands. This makes it easy for users to recognise the shortened form in later content. To save this word, you'll need to log in. I want to receive exclusive email updates from YourDictionary. Today's topic is the difference between abbreviations, acronyms. Businesses frequently use initialisms as part of their branding, usually as a way of improving out-of-date, extra long, or not-quite-global phrasing. If the acronym or initialism represents common nouns, dont begin each word of the full form with a capital letter. If the acronym or initialism represents a proper noun, start each word with a capital letter (excluding words such as of and and). Avoid using the plural or possessive of an acronym or initialism when you define it. Nordquist, Richard. You can review and change the way we collect information below. We recommend our users to update the browser. However, initialisms are pronounced as a list of letters, not as a word: Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox. and If understood by users, they can make content easier to use. There are millions of common abbreviations used every day, including: St. or Ave. (instead of Street or Avenue) Mon., Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat., and Sun. Any opinions expressed in the examples do not When writing out affiliations, use the official spelling, which may or may not be American spelling. Susanne Ruststaff By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. What exactly is an acronym? They are often confused with acronyms because they are made up of letters, so they look similar, but they cant be pronounced as words. Top Parental Control Software In text, use number when followed by a word, no. when followed by a numeral. Why not send us 500 words for free and find out how we can help? PORSCHE - Proof Of Rich Spoiled Children Having Everything. Initialisms and acronyms are no different. NASA, on the other hand, is an acronym because even though it is also made up of the first letters of the department name (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), it is pronounced as a word, NASA, and not by spelling out the letters N, A, S, A. It comes from the phrase "oll korrect," a humorous alteration of "all correct.". Avoid SOB (shortness of breath, sulfur-oxidizing bacteria), if possible. Like acronyms, initialisms are abbreviations created by using the first letters of each word in a phrase. WebSome abbreviations look like acronyms (for example, mph and NY), but it's really just a coincidence. What is the difference between an acronym and an abbreviation? Text speak chat acronym of Laughing Out Loud or less commonly Lots Of Love. Acronyms are usually all capitals, but use lower case for some familiar acronyms (taser,captcha, laser). Abbreviations are found in almost every area of life. Mrs. = Mistress (pronounced missus) Ms. = (pronounced miss or miz) Sr. = Senior Jr. = Junior Dr. = Doctor Mr. Green asked Ms. Grey if she had met Dr. Jekyl. Kelly Kuehn is an associate editor for Readers Digest covering entertainment, trivia and history. Some publications put periods after each letter, arguing that because each letter is essentially an abbreviation for a word, periods are necessary. This means that they dont have time to say or write all the complicated words that are found in the field of medicine. Latin abbreviations, such as etc. Its a word comprised of the first initials of the other words, which is then pronounced as its own word. opens in a new windowList of Common Abbreviations Check out our earlier blog post for more info on using articles with acronyms and initialisms. Acronyms are normally written in capital letters, although some British style guides recommend capitalizing only the first letter (e.g., Unicef). Type above and press Enter to search. probably borrowed from German Akronym, Akronymon, from akr- acr- + -onym, -onymon -onym, You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these right. opens in a new windowDictionary.com entry for Initialism Btb Translation Bureau (n.d.) 1: abbreviations, The Canadian style, Btb Translation Bureau website, accessed 4 May 2020. Kate Stone Lombardi: Take the League of Women Voters. An abbreviation is a truncated word; an acronym is made up of parts of the phrase it stands for and is pronounced as a word (ELISA, AIDS, GABA); an initialism is an acronym that is pronounced as individual letters (DNA, RT-PCR). 2 Bcc and Cc. They communicate terms in as few letters as possible to make content easier and faster to read. To truly understand the difference between an initialism and acronym, you can look at examples of each in business, medicine and politics/government. Exception: Write out in research articles if not preceded by number or if used alone; i.e., not part of a recipe.. Acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations say what? Acronym used in mathematics to remember the trigonometric functions sine, cosine, and tangent. Cherry). Nordquist, Richard. Doctors and nurses are busy. Cherry). Any shortened form of a word is an abbreviation, for example, etc. Affiliations may be abbreviated at the authors discretion in the Address for Correspondence. Common examples Copyright 2023 Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. Abbreviate UK and USA when used as part of an address, e.g., affiliations and address for correspondence. Examples of well-known initialisms include CEO for Chief Executive Officer and NSF for the National Science Foundation. reverse transcription PCR FBI and CIA are examples of initialisms because theyre made up of the first letters of Federal Bureau of Investigation and Central Intelligence Agency, respectively, but they cant be pronounced as words. Initialisms are made from the first letter (or letters) of a string of words, but cant be pronounced as words themselves. Eliot, P.G. There are a few of them out there. Well add the best acronyms to ADDucations acronyms list. 'UNICEF' is an acronym. So, whats the difference between an acronym and initialism? Use standard abbreviations only; do not make up abbreviations. Press Esc to cancel. Todays topic is the difference between abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms. An acronym is an abbreviation of a phrase created by using the first letter of each word (or some of the words) in the phrase. This page was last changed on 23 February 2022, at 22:45. blend. SMH means Shaking my head. If the acronym or initialism represents common nouns, dont begin each word of the full form with a capital letter. What's the Preferred Way to Write the Abbreviation for United States? JEEP - Just Expect Every Problem. Words to look for are Programme vs. Youve likely seen these acronyms in everyday life mixed in with common texting abbreviations. Delivered to your inbox! there are only a few unfamiliar shortened forms, each one is only in a very limited section of text. Dr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks. Use subscript "t". 2023. Some specific examples follow: amino acid Quotations and Block Quotes in Chicago Referencing, 5 Grammar Rules That Can be Broken in English. initialism synonyms, initialism pronunciation, initialism translation, English dictionary definition of initialism. The name of the famous Swedish pop group combines the first initial of its members namesAgnetha, Bjrn, Benny, and Anni-Frid. As always, this is Grammar Girl, striving to be your friendly guide in the writing world. For When 'Lowdown Crook' Isn't Specific Enough. The fascinating story behind many people's favori Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); You can also upload a document to get an instant quote. Concrete vs. Abstract Nouns Whats the Difference? Watson L (8 February 2017) How to create content that works well with screen readers, Accessibility in government blog, accessed 7 January 2020. ThoughtCo. Nordquist, Richard. Find her on Mastodon. The exception is if the shortened form ends a sentence and isnt followed by another punctuation mark. People unfamiliar with certain terms might not understand their shortened forms. Content Design London (2019) Abbreviations and acronyms, Content Design London readability guidelines, Content Design London website, accessed 30 March 2020. To make sureall shortened forms are accessible: If theres a chance users wont know the meaning of an acronym or initialism, define it at first mention. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. The government is not without its acronyms. But in common usage, the space between initials is being whittled down (C.P.E. It comes down to how you pronounce an abbreviation that is going to make it an initialism, an acronym or both. LMFAO means Laughing my freaking *a* off. . American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus, An initialism for American Telephone and Telegraph, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, Fdration Internationale de Football Association, Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnary. : a countercurrents series, Current Oncology, 23(5):295296, doi:10.3747/co.23.3122. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is known by the, Enlarge NurPhoto / Contributor | NurPhoto Today an Italian regulator, the Guarantor for the Protection of Personal Data (referred to by its Italian, One fan held a sign with a simple, relevant, But the voluntary carbon market also coined the, At the top of the list isn't actually a word, but an, Three animals found living at the house were seized and taken to a shelter by the Jurez Department of Animal Welfare of the Municipal Rescue and Adoption of Pets agency, known by its, This story has been updated to reflect that PFLAG is no longer an, Post the Definition of acronym to Facebook, Share the Definition of acronym on Twitter. Define them the first time you use them in content (unless youre certain all users will understand them without a definition consult a dictionary first). However, if you are confident that your readers will already be familiar with the abbreviation (e.g., UFO, TV), theres no need to spell out the full version. English speakers split the difference between initialisms and acronyms simply by pronouncing certain abbreviations per their individual letters, and other times as single words. She has appeared as a guest expert on the Oprah Winfrey Show and the Today Show. Generally acronyms are a shorter and convenient way to abbreviate words by taking the first letter of each word to form the acronym. or in. Initial letter. To save this word, you'll need to log in. Are you interested in taking part in Style Manual user research? B. Cherry ( not A.B. Consult a dictionary if youre unsure of the capitalisation. Your email address will not be published. Acronyms are often associated with their use in certain fields that use a lot of technical terms, like science, tech, and the military. If the acronym or initialism represents a proper noun, start each word with a capital letter (excluding words such as of andand). These include: Ifyou use the shortened form only a few times in long-form content, consider writing out the full term more than once. Other publications dont put periods after each letter, arguing that the copy looks cleaner without them, and that because they are made up of all capital letters, the fact that they are abbreviations is implied. 2. TOYOTA - Too Often Yankees Overprice This Auto. We cannot reply to individual questions and requests for help. The topic I'm looking for is not in the Style Manual. Its kind of an extension of the last episode, because I want to clarify the difference between abbreviations and acronyms. If youd like an expert to check your writing for flawless grammar and spelling, our proofreaders are just a few clicks away. Learn a new word every day. On subsequent occurrences, use the abbreviation, VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) test. Here is an example: 1. ), UK (when used as an adjective; write out when used as a noun), US (when used as an adjective; write out when used as a noun), vs. (can be abbreviated when used inside parentheses; otherwise, spell out). ASAP As soon as possible 3. Avoid using the plural or possessive of an acronym or initialism when you define it. Acronyms vs. Initialisms: Whats the Difference? . ThoughtCo, Apr. The acronym is then pronounced as the word or sound that these letters spell out. Viruses Theme music by Joshua Stamper 2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (2020) 4.4: abbreviations and acronyms, Canada.ca content style guide, Canada.ca, accessed 4 May 2020. Bcc and Cc are initialisms that you will see as options in your email program. One of the most commonly used chat abbreviations in our acronyms list. acronym . Several acronyms have become accepted as words in their own right. ). (2023, April 5). Medicine Initialisms. One moose, two moose. Spell out amino acid when followed by words; abbreviate aa without definition when paired with numbers (absolute or percentage). Note that the word acronym is also sometimes used to mean "initialism.". But what exactly do they mean? Doctors and nurses are busy. Initialism. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initialism. Acronyms and initialisms are also abbreviations. This is a departure from advice in the sixth edition, which listed thoroughly anglicised shortened forms used regularly in publications. See the section on Acronym Use with Virus Names. When you use this kind of acronym, you should treat it like a regular word by writing it in lowercase letters. "Initial letter." Show the full term in square brackets if users might not recognise the term or if you havent already explained it. And yet there is something about the homogeneity of these definitions, their recourse to coddling clich, that makes critical race theory seem like just another version of a fluffier and more familiar three-word, Over the past few years, hes palled around with Bill Clinton, graced the cover of Fortune magazine, and turned himself into a three-letter, The outbreak which researchers call by its, The British punk rock poet debuts at No. Thats all. WebExamples: ACL, DNA, HEPA, LASER, MRI, PTFE, SSRI, TIA, TENS, VOC Organizations & Schools Local, national, and international organizations, schools, colleges, universities, education, non-profits, NGOs, etc. Spell reverse transcription at first use; do not use an en dash between reverse transcription and PCR. cycle threshold Why? IKR means I know, right. For example, a user might click straight to a section that only includes the shortened form. (preferred over ssp. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! Guidelines for using initials in reports, research papers, and bibliographies (or reference lists) vary according to the academic discipline and appropriate style manual. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Narod S, Ahmed H and Akbari M (2016) Do acronyms belong in the medical literature? Youve now walked into the fun world of abbreviations. People could come across the shortened form without reading the text where it is first defined. This page was updated Thursday 8 December 2022. As well as the initial letters of words, definitions in the digital edition allow for initial syllables for acronyms and initial sounds for initialisms. Review a few common examples. WebExamples: radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging), snafu (Situation Normal All Fucked Up, and sonar (SOund Navigation And Ranging). The digitaledition updates punctuation style for shortened forms. opens in a new windowWikipedia Entry for Acronyms and Initalisms = Bachelor of science B.A. It could be abbreviated into one sound like Rom. for Romeo and Juliet. nym a-kr-nim. There are no spaces, however, between personal initials that are not followed by periods (FDR, LBJ). WebAn initialism for Consumer Value Store DARE: Drug Abuse Resistance Education: Epcot: Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow: FIFA: Fdration Internationale de An initialism is a shortened version of a word or phrase that is pronounced as a series of letters. These terms may also be used in running heads. WebThese are also examples of common initialisms, because the letters dont form a word. Click the icon to reveal any hidden columns. Initialisms are another type of abbreviation. ), RNA, DNA, cDNA, mRNA, tRNA, or rDNA (Note: c, complementary; m, messenger; t, transfer; r, ribosomal). The term was preceded in English by the word initialism, meaning an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of a phrase, and which has been in use since the late 19th century. Acronyms and initialisms are common in formal content. It advisedto avoid using Latin shortened forms, in line with the guidance in this edition of Style Manual. Examples include, Acronyms are made from the first letter (or letters) of a string of words but are pronounced as if they were words themselves.
initialism examples list