An acronym is an abbreviation used as a word and formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word, usually individual letters (as in NATO or laser) and sometimes syllables (as in Benelux).
There is no universal standardization of the various names for such abbreviations and of their orthographic styling. In English and most other languages, such abbreviations historically had limited use, but they became much more common in the 20th century. Acronyms are a type of word formation process, and they are viewed as a subtype of blending.
Nomenclature
Whereas an abbreviation may be any type of shortened form, such as words with the middle omitted (for example, Rd for road or Dr for Doctor), an acronym is a word formed from the first letter or first few letters of each word in a phrase (such as sonar, created from sound navigation and ranging). Attestations for Akronym in German are known from 1921, and for acronym in English from 1940.
Although the word acronym is often used to refer to any abbreviation formed from initial letters, many dictionaries and usage commentators define acronym to mean an abbreviation that is pronounced as a word, in contradistinction to an initialism (or alphabetism)—an abbreviation formed from a string of initials (and possibly pronounced as individual letters).
Some dictionaries include additional senses equating acronym with initialism. The distinction, when made, hinges on whether the abbreviation is pronounced as a word or as a string of individual letters. Examples in reference works that make the distinction include NATO/ˈneɪtoʊ/, scuba/ˈskuːbə/, and radar/ˈreɪdɑːr/ for acronyms - and FBI/ˌɛfˌbiːˈaɪ/, CRT/ˌˈsiːˌɑːrˌtiː/, and HTML/ˌeɪtʃˌtiːˌɛmˈɛl/ for initialisms. The rest of this article uses acronym for both types of abbreviation.
The Differences Between Acronyms, Abbreviations & Initialisms! │ Shea Writing and Training Solutions
Do you know the differences between an acronym and an abbreviation or an abbreviation and an initialism? Check out the video for the lowdown!
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published: 19 Jul 2016
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Do you know the differences between an acronym and an abbreviation or an abbreviation and an initialism? Check out the video for the lowdown!
Are you working ...
Do you know the differences between an acronym and an abbreviation or an abbreviation and an initialism? Check out the video for the lowdown!
Are you working on a document right now? Need help from a professional Technical Writer? Check out our website: www.sheaws.com. We have a team of technical writers that are ready to develop the documentation for you.
Thanks for watching our video, and don’t forget to Like and follow us on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheaWritingAndTrainingSolutions/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SheaWriting
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/shea-writing-&-training-solutions-inc
Do you know the differences between an acronym and an abbreviation or an abbreviation and an initialism? Check out the video for the lowdown!
Are you working on a document right now? Need help from a professional Technical Writer? Check out our website: www.sheaws.com. We have a team of technical writers that are ready to develop the documentation for you.
Thanks for watching our video, and don’t forget to Like and follow us on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheaWritingAndTrainingSolutions/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SheaWriting
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/shea-writing-&-training-solutions-inc
What is the actual difference between abbreviations and acronyms? They're both letters, but are they the same thing?
Learn more from Dictionary.com: https://w...
What is the actual difference between abbreviations and acronyms? They're both letters, but are they the same thing?
Learn more from Dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/e/acronym-vs-abbreviation/
What is the actual difference between abbreviations and acronyms? They're both letters, but are they the same thing?
Learn more from Dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/e/acronym-vs-abbreviation/
RSVP? ASAP? Etc.? What do these letters mean? In this vocabulary lesson, I will explain and give examples of abbreviations,Also let me teach you the difference...
RSVP? ASAP? Etc.? What do these letters mean? In this vocabulary lesson, I will explain and give examples of abbreviations,Also let me teach you the difference between Abbreviation,Acronym and Initialism.
"Music: www.bensound.com" or "Royalty Free Music from Bensound"
RSVP? ASAP? Etc.? What do these letters mean? In this vocabulary lesson, I will explain and give examples of abbreviations,Also let me teach you the difference between Abbreviation,Acronym and Initialism.
"Music: www.bensound.com" or "Royalty Free Music from Bensound"
Can you tell your NATO from your OMG? Fiona McPherson, Senior Editor of the OED, gives a quick guide to the difference between an acronym and an initialism.
Can you tell your NATO from your OMG? Fiona McPherson, Senior Editor of the OED, gives a quick guide to the difference between an acronym and an initialism.
Can you tell your NATO from your OMG? Fiona McPherson, Senior Editor of the OED, gives a quick guide to the difference between an acronym and an initialism.
Video shows what initialism means. A term formed from the initial letter or letters of several words or parts of words, but which is itself pronounced letter by...
Video shows what initialism means. A term formed from the initial letter or letters of several words or parts of words, but which is itself pronounced letter by letter.. initialism pronunciation. How to pronounce, definition by Wiktionary dictionary. initialism meaning. Powered by MaryTTS
Video shows what initialism means. A term formed from the initial letter or letters of several words or parts of words, but which is itself pronounced letter by letter.. initialism pronunciation. How to pronounce, definition by Wiktionary dictionary. initialism meaning. Powered by MaryTTS
Do you know the differences between an acronym and an abbreviation or an abbreviation and an initialism? Check out the video for the lowdown!
Are you working on a document right now? Need help from a professional Technical Writer? Check out our website: www.sheaws.com. We have a team of technical writers that are ready to develop the documentation for you.
Thanks for watching our video, and don’t forget to Like and follow us on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SheaWritingAndTrainingSolutions/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SheaWriting
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/shea-writing-&-training-solutions-inc
What is the actual difference between abbreviations and acronyms? They're both letters, but are they the same thing?
Learn more from Dictionary.com: https://www.dictionary.com/e/acronym-vs-abbreviation/
RSVP? ASAP? Etc.? What do these letters mean? In this vocabulary lesson, I will explain and give examples of abbreviations,Also let me teach you the difference between Abbreviation,Acronym and Initialism.
"Music: www.bensound.com" or "Royalty Free Music from Bensound"
Can you tell your NATO from your OMG? Fiona McPherson, Senior Editor of the OED, gives a quick guide to the difference between an acronym and an initialism.
Video shows what initialism means. A term formed from the initial letter or letters of several words or parts of words, but which is itself pronounced letter by letter.. initialism pronunciation. How to pronounce, definition by Wiktionary dictionary. initialism meaning. Powered by MaryTTS
An acronym is an abbreviation used as a word and formed from the initial components in a phrase or a word, usually individual letters (as in NATO or laser) and sometimes syllables (as in Benelux).
There is no universal standardization of the various names for such abbreviations and of their orthographic styling. In English and most other languages, such abbreviations historically had limited use, but they became much more common in the 20th century. Acronyms are a type of word formation process, and they are viewed as a subtype of blending.
Nomenclature
Whereas an abbreviation may be any type of shortened form, such as words with the middle omitted (for example, Rd for road or Dr for Doctor), an acronym is a word formed from the first letter or first few letters of each word in a phrase (such as sonar, created from sound navigation and ranging). Attestations for Akronym in German are known from 1921, and for acronym in English from 1940.
Although the word acronym is often used to refer to any abbreviation formed from initial letters, many dictionaries and usage commentators define acronym to mean an abbreviation that is pronounced as a word, in contradistinction to an initialism (or alphabetism)—an abbreviation formed from a string of initials (and possibly pronounced as individual letters).
Some dictionaries include additional senses equating acronym with initialism. The distinction, when made, hinges on whether the abbreviation is pronounced as a word or as a string of individual letters. Examples in reference works that make the distinction include NATO/ˈneɪtoʊ/, scuba/ˈskuːbə/, and radar/ˈreɪdɑːr/ for acronyms - and FBI/ˌɛfˌbiːˈaɪ/, CRT/ˌˈsiːˌɑːrˌtiː/, and HTML/ˌeɪtʃˌtiːˌɛmˈɛl/ for initialisms. The rest of this article uses acronym for both types of abbreviation.