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Acronyms and abbreviations in English

Abbreviations and acronyms are shortened versions of existing words and phrases. They have been designed to save time and/or space, and even provide greater clarity, when writing or reading a text.

What is an abbreviation?

Abbreviations are short pronunciations of words and expressions that we use every day.

Given their qualities, they are very common and are frequently used in our daily communication, from titles such as Dr. and Prof., to road indicators, such as Av. and St.

They are formed using the most recognizable letters of the word or expression, facilitating their memorization and reading. For example:

• Mister: Mr. _
• Boulevard: Blvd. _ _ _ _ _
• Corp sentence: Corp.

Although they are often pronounced the same as the original word, when the abbreviation becomes more popular than the original term, it is pronounced exactly as it is spelled, such as the abbreviation AM (Ante meridiem).

The point and the abbreviations

There is no specific rule that indicates the use or not of the period in abbreviations. However, adding this question mark improves its recognition within a document, notice, text, etc.

On the other hand, some abbreviations never use a period, such as postal abbreviations such as NY, LA and even USA.

What is an acronym?

You may already recognize some acronyms like NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ATM (automated teller machine).

An acronym is a stand-in for a string of words, like a slogan or the name of an organization, for example.

Unlike abbreviations, acronyms are built with the initials of words and do not have a stipulated rule indicating how they should be pronounced, which is why there are two basic ways in which they can be read:

1. Asa whole word: NASA (N ational Aeronautics and Space Administration)
2. As they appear (as if spelled): NBA(N ational B asketball A ssociation)

When and how to use acronyms

Occasionally, you will need to explain the acronym you are using when you are writing it. To do this, it is recommended that:

• If the acronym is more popular, it is listed first, followed by the full name or phrase in parentheses.

If the full name or phrase is more popular, it is recommended to write it first, followed by the acronym in parentheses. A) Yes.