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. Acronyms and initialisms | Style Manual Abbreviations are found in almost every area of life. WebAn initialism is a term formed by abbreviating a phrase by combining certain letters of words in the phrase (often the first initial of each) into a single term. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. MAZDA - Most Always Zipping Dangerously Along (or My! Delivered to your inbox! 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. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. We'll use your email address you provided in feedback above to invite you to participate in user research. there are only a few unfamiliar shortened forms, each one is only in a very limited section of text. Acronyms are normally written in capital letters, although some British style guides recommend capitalizing only the first letter (e.g., Unicef). (days of the week) Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Jun., Jul., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. (months of the year) Ex. Abbreviations can, however, be used in a heading if previously established. Thats all. HONDA - Hang On, Not Done Accelerating. 'ACLU' is an initialism. These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests. 2023. Acronym vs. Initialism vs. Abbreviation With Examples Initialisms often appear with periods, which help identify them as initialisms (U.S.A., U.K., etc. Wright N (n.d.) Keep it jargon-free, Resources, plainlanguage.gov. clipping. 'UNICEF' is an acronym. are common in academic writing. In instances when an abbreviation has become the de facto name, spelling out may cause confusion, particularly if the term appears only once. sp., spp., sp. 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. Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about initialism. One moose, two moose. It is an abbreviation of "oh cycle threshold WebList of acronyms and initialisms Page Talk Read Edit Change source View history Tools Contents Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 0-9 [ change GOV.UK (2016) AZ: abbreviations and acronyms, Style guide, GOV.UK, accessed 4 May 2020. Copyright 2023 Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. YOLO means You only live once. Acronym is a fairly recent word, dating from the 1940s, although acronyms existed long before we gave them that name. B. Cherry (not A.B. WebAbbreviations are shortened forms of a written word, phrase or name used in place of the whole, for example: Dr. for Doctor, Mr. for Mister, gym for gymnastics, ' Tim ' for Timothy, p.s. Initialism Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com Grammar: Abbreviations and Acronyms Avoid using the plural or possessive of an acronym or initialism when you define it. Example: Dunkretaries 'Duncan secretaries', formed from Duncan and secretaries . WebAcronyms are a subtype of initialism. A few famous examples include: Medicine is full of complicated words and phrases that doctors just dont have time for. This makes it easy for users to recognise the shortened form in later content. But what exactly do they mean? Youve now walked into the fun world of abbreviations. Your email address will not be published. Examples of initialisms include ASAP (As soon as possible), OED (Oxford English Dictionary), FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation). What is the difference between an acronym and an initialism? All rights reserved. (American style) Mr Green asked Ms Grey if she had met Dr Jekyl. 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. and INITIALISM | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary Doctors and nurses are busy. Dont place a full stop after the acronym or initialism. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! The key difference between them is that we pronounce acronyms as a word and initialisms as a list of letters. Initialisms are made from the first letter (or letters) of a string of words, but cant be pronounced as words themselves. Use a hyperlink in the text to help people access the glossary. 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. From there on, you can use the acronym alone: By 2020, the RSPB had over one million members. Rather than using acronyms or initialisms, it can be easier for people if you: This is usually more useful to non-specialist users. Bcc and Cc are initialisms that you will see as options in your email program. Why? There are no spaces, however, between personal initials that are not followed by periods (FDR, LBJ). She has appeared as a guest expert on the Oprah Winfrey Show and the Today Show. Initialisms are abbreviations that are pronounced one letter at a time. ), 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). cit. Resize your browser to full screen and/or zoom out to display as many columns as possible. 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. 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. ThoughtCo, Apr. 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). Heres a quick guide to keep you in the know and help you communicate faster (we also included some common abbreviations and initialisms for reference). If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. An acronym is a kind of abbreviation. For content with many specialised acronyms and initialisms, provide a glossary a list of terms and their meaning that users can refer to. Both acronyms and initialisms are made up of the first letter or letters of the words in a phrase. I want to receive exclusive email updates from YourDictionary. Examples include scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) and gif (graphics interchange format). Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. In short: An abbreviation is when a phrase or word is shortened to a word or letters. Here is an example: 1. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. Concrete vs. Abstract Nouns Whats the Difference? Consult a dictionary if youre unsure of the capitalisation. Type above and press Enter to search. LMK means Let me know. (over 195,000 definitions) Examples: ALA, ANWB, BBB, IEEE, MoMA, NEA , UCLA, UN, WTO Slang & Pop Culture Another Zany Detroit Assassin!) acronym 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. 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. SI units used with a numeral are never spelled out. Delivered to your inbox! Susanne Ruststaff 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. The fascinating story behind many people's favori Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! These cookies may also be used for advertising purposes by these third parties. The search must be at least three characters long. List of acronyms and initialisms - Simple English Wikipedia, the Alienating the audience: how abbreviations hamper scientific communication, The ultimate list of social media acronyms and abbreviations, G102: providing the expansion or explanation of an abbreviation, H28: providing definitions for abbreviations by using the abbr element, PDF8: Providing definitions for abbreviations via an E entry for a structure element, Understanding Success Criterion 3.1.4: abbreviations, How to create content that works well with screen readers. Acronyms are usually nouns in a sentence. 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. We'll use your email address to invite you to participate in user research. IKR means I know, right. Organzation names aroften initialisms of his type. Initialisms in government are so common that theyve coined their own joke: alphabet soup. The use of initialisms in politics around the world reflects a shared need to save time and space without losing specificity. Acronyms vs. Initialisms: Whats the Difference? 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:. A new word formed by joining the start of one word with the end of another. The names of government departments are often shortened, but not always in the same way. However, there are various exceptions to this rulefor example, substances (e.g., LSD) and medical conditions (e.g., RSI). Privacy Policy. ThoughtCo. : a word (such as NATO, radar, or laser) formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acronym.' Initialisms Big businesses might use acronyms to make them stand out or just to shorten a long name. Include A List If Content Relies on Many Acronyms and Initialisms Use them only if people recognise and understand them. blend. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced searchad free! Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-an-initialism-1691173. OFC means Of course. Quick & Dirty Tips and related trademarks appearing on this website are the property of Mignon Fogarty, Inc. and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC. Sign up for our weekly newsletters and get: By signing in, you agree to our Terms and Conditions 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). Thats where acronyms come in and help speed things up. ILY means I love you. For example, appt is an abbreviation of appointment, and ASAP is an abbreviation of as soon as possible. This is a departure from advice in the sixth edition, which listed thoroughly anglicised shortened forms used regularly in publications. After this post, we hope you feel confident about using acronyms and initialisms in your writing. opens in a new windowDictionary.com entry for Initialism When you use this kind of acronym, you should treat it like a regular word by writing it in lowercase letters. NVM means Never mind. 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. One of the most commonly used chat abbreviations in our acronyms list. The topic I'm looking for is not in the Style Manual. You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. WebDefine initialism. Accessed 1 May. nov (with organism name), subsp. Sehl K (24 April 2019) The ultimate list of social media acronyms and abbreviations, Hootsuite Blog, accessed 8 January 2020. Or, it could be shortened to its first letters like NRA for the National Rifle Association. W3C (n.d.) Understanding Success Criterion 3.1.4: abbreviations, Understanding WCAG 2.1, W3C website, accessed 5 May 2020. 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. ASAP, however, also qualifies as an acronym because it is made up of the initial letters of the phrase it comes from: as soon as possible. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. These terms may also be used in running heads. Learn a new word every day. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'initialism.' Check out the list to see some common abbreviations that you might use everyday. If the acronym or initialism represents common nouns, dont begin each word of the full form with a capital letter. When it comes to the wonderful world of abbreviations, they are everywhere. Watson L (8 February 2017) How to create content that works well with screen readers, Accessibility in government blog, accessed 7 January 2020. Whether you want to manage your money better, rock your professional life, stay fit and eat healthy, or discover the keys to better mental health, Quick and Dirty Tips delivers short-form podcasts and articles every week to keep you at the top of your game, usually in ten minutes or less! LMFAO means Laughing my freaking *a* off. No. ASIO [Australian Security Intelligence Organisation], ILSC [Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation], Its compulsory for certain businesses to have an Australian Business Number, Were continuing to manage the number of, It removes the requirement to use full stops with, Consistent with what was Content Guide advice, it recommends avoiding the use of, Consistent with the sixth edition, it does not use full stops with acronyms or initialisms, or. It comes from the phrase "oll korrect," a humorous alteration of "all correct.". 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. University of Chicago (2017) 10.2: Acronyms, initialisms, contractions, Chicago manual of style, 17th edn, University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Click the iconto reveal any hidden columns. If understood by users, they can make content easier to use. This makes them a subset of abbreviations. ADDucation Tips: Click column headings with arrows to sort the acronyms list alphabetically. WebExamples: radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging), snafu (Situation Normal All Fucked Up, and sonar (SOund Navigation And Ranging). Linking to a non-federal website does not constitute an endorsement by CDC or any of its employees of the sponsors or the information and products presented on the website. 4 Communication Assassins Hurting Your Relationships, Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing, Best 17 What Is Initialism - Mitadoor ng Nai, Initialisms are made from the first letter (or letters) of a string of words, but cant be pronounced as words themselves. It did not explicitly warn against their use. Define Ct at first use. Btb Translation Bureau (n.d.) 1: abbreviations, The Canadian style, Btb Translation Bureau website, accessed 4 May 2020. Initialisms are a common component of both official and conversational English. Include them with their spelt-out forms in the glossary. If the term is used >3 times, the abbreviation rRT-PCR can be used. Join our list to get updates from your favorite hosts delivered straight to your inbox. 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. Initialism Definition & Meaning | YourDictionary initialism synonyms, initialism pronunciation, initialism translation, English dictionary definition of initialism. I need more detail to answer my question. Words to look for are Programme vs. Funny * I havent been able to find a definitive answer on the right way to write hazmat, but the U.S. governments Office of Hazardous Materials Safety writes it as hazmat so Im sticking with that for now. So, whats the difference between an acronym and initialism? Any shortened form of a word is an abbreviation, for example, etc. An abbreviation consisting of the first letter Some common examples include: 1. Acronyms are commonly used to create memorable names for brands, organizations and groups of people who regularly use the same phrases like the military. aa (when followed by Acronyms and initialisms are also abbreviations. The name of the famous Swedish pop group combines the first initial of its members namesAgnetha, Bjrn, Benny, and Anni-Frid. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. There are Program, Centre vs. Center, Organisation vs. Organization. Like acronyms, initialisms are abbreviations created by using the first letters of each word in a phrase. Exception: Write out in research articles if not preceded by number or if used alone; i.e., not part of a recipe.. As well as the initial letters of words, definitions in the digital edition allow for initial syllables for acronyms and initial sounds for initialisms. The group was founded in 1920 during a convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, held only six months before the 19th Amendment was ratified, giving women the right to vote [T]hose at the state level say that some League officers would like to follow the lead of the AARP, now more recognized for its initials than for the stodgier and sometimes misleading name, the American Association of Retired Persons. Her popularLinkedIn Learning courses help people write better to communicate better. It advisedto avoid using Latin shortened forms, in line with the guidance in this edition of Style Manual. Quotations and Block Quotes in Chicago Referencing, 5 Grammar Rules That Can be Broken in English. In long titles, the following abbreviations can be used without being spelled out, provided the terms are spelled out in the Abstract or, for letters, in the first paragraph. 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. Any opinions expressed in the examples do not Cc stands for carbon copy.. Acronyms and Initialisms- Uppercase, Lowercase What is the difference between an acronym and an initialism? 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. We cannot reply to individual questions and requests for help. Initialisms comprise the initial letters (or sounds) of the words in a term and are pronounced as letters, not as a word. Bach, T.S. Accessed 1 May. Abbreviate the following in tables, figures, and in the Methods section of research articles. The practice of using an initial as well as a given name, as in J. Arthur Rank, Dwight D. Eisenhower is more widespread in the US than in the UK. What's the Preferred Way to Write the Abbreviation for United States? Initialism You dont need to define some acronyms and initialisms on first use. Acronym Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Popular chat and text messaging abbreviations, Originated from the name of the Adidas sportswear founder, Latin translation of the German company founders name, Isnt an acronym for photofit but the name of the computer program, Named after the Swedish founders of clothing chain. Spell out amino acid when followed by words; abbreviate aa without definition when paired with numbers (absolute or percentage). 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. Affiliations may be abbreviated at the authors discretion in the Address for Correspondence. opens in a new windowEveryday Acronyms. 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. List If the term is used >3 times, the abbreviation RT-PCR can be used. Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms The period is there to indicate that its a valid title for adults to use. Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox! 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. Some publications put periods after each letter, arguing that because each letter is essentially an abbreviation for a word, periods are necessary. Acronyms are created to shorten long phrases and speed up communication, much like abbreviations and initialisms. nym a-kr-nim. To truly understand the difference between an initialism and acronym, you can look at examples of each in business, medicine and politics/government. Amy Einsohn: Most style manuals call for spacing between initials in a personal name: A. , i.e., e.g. and cf. Click the icon to reveal any hidden columns. 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." In text, use number when followed by a word, no. when followed by a numeral. WebThese are also examples of common initialisms, because the letters dont form a word. W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) (n.d.) G102: providing the expansion or explanation of an abbreviation, Techniques for WCAG 2.0, W3C website, accessed 7 January 2020. ), RNA, DNA, cDNA, mRNA, tRNA, or rDNA (Note: c, complementary; m, messenger; t, transfer; r, ribosomal). = Bachelor of science B.A. Initial letter. 2023. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. They replace full names and special terms in text. Shes the GOAT!) or a superstar in a particular field (Saw the GOAT himself, John Williams, conduct an orchestra last night!). OK is technically an acronym. . Initialisms are another type of abbreviation. Now, its time for acronyms. Use subscript "t". When writing an academic paper, you may need to quote something youve read somewhere. This means that they dont have time to Please tell us a bit more about yourself. Why? Hales A, Williams K and Rector J (February 2017) Alienating the audience: how abbreviations hamper scientific communication, Association for Psychological Science, accessed 7 January 2020. Acronyms and initialisms | Wordy Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. ROFL means Rolling on floor laughing.
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