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Acronyms and Acronyms: Definition, examples and differences

Both initials and acronyms have the same purpose, and that is that initials, as well as acronyms, seek to abbreviate a more complex denomination. However, despite the fact that they share the same purpose, the truth is that there are also factors that differentiate them from each other.

If there were no differences between the two terms, there would not be two concepts in the first place, so we invite you to join us to find out what the differences are between acronyms and acronyms, the definition of each term, examples and rules that you must take into account. in each case.

Definition of "acronym"

The acronym is a linguistic sign generally formed with the initial letters of each of the terms that make up a complex expression. In other words, we can also say that: the acronym is the simplification of a broad concept to a simpler one in order to streamline communication, while facilitating the learning of said term.

Each of the letters that make up the simplified term is also considered an acronym, taking as an example "NGO" (Non-Governmental Organization), both the word itself and the 3 letters that make up said word are known as an acronym. Thus, we can say that the acronym “NGO” is made up of three acronyms.

Main characteristics of acronyms

• Acronyms are usually made up of letters that are read separately. (FBI; NGO)
• If an acronym can be read as a single word, it is also considered an acronym. (CIA; UN)
• Acronyms are written in capital letters, except in cases where they are also considered acronyms. (we specify this point better in the section on the characteristics of acronyms)
• Acronyms are not written with spacing or dots in between. Only if the statement is in capital letters, each of the letters that make up an acronym may be separated by periods in between.
• An 's' should not be added to the end of an acronym to indicate a plural of these (as is often the case in English), instead variations in context should be added indicating that we mean the plural of an acronym. (“The NGOs…” instead of “NGOs”, or “NGOs attended” instead of “NGOs attended). This rule is only in the written form, since in the oral form it can be pronounced /oenejés/.
• The use of articles and prepositions in acronyms is omitted, except in cases to facilitate their pronunciation, in which case it becomes an acronym.
• Acronyms are not accented, even when their pronunciation requires it.

Examples of acronyms

• IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)
• IDB (Inter-American Development Bank)
• ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America)
• DNI (National Identity Document)
• OAS (Organization of American States)
• CIA (Central Intelligence Agency)
• FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

Definition of "acronym"

The term 'acronym' has two definitions; On the one hand we have that an acronym is an acronym that can be pronounced as a single word - 'Unesco' is an example of this -, in this way there are words that are considered both acronyms and acronyms. On the other hand, it can be a word formed by joining part of two words that merge two lexical elements, almost always taking the beginning from the first element and the end from the second, such as bit (Binary digit) or transistor (Transfer resistor).

Like abbreviations, acronyms are not written with a period.

Main characteristics of acronyms

• An acronym is also called an acronym when the acronym can be read as a single word, so there are words that are considered both acronyms and acronyms. (Unesco; NATO)
• Acronyms that are a proper name and have more than four letters, only the initial letter is capitalized (Unesco; Unicef)
• An acronym can be converted into an acronym by joining the usual lexicon, as it happens in most cases, in this way they are not capitalized (not even the initial letter), except in the case that it is the first word in a paragraph or statement. (UFO; AIDS)
• An acronym can also be formed by joining two words together, usually the beginning of one and the end of the other. ('telematics': telecommunication and computing)
• An acronym can be branded. (Fundeu)

examples of acronyms

• Fundéu (Urgent Spanish Foundation)
• Unicef ​​(United Nations Children's Fund)
• Unesco (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
• Concacaf (Confederation Of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football)
• AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
• UFO (Unidentified Flying Object)
• Mercosur (Common Market of the South)

Similarities and differences between abbreviations and acronyms

Below we show you a comparative table with similarities and differences between abbreviations and acronyms.

Acronym	Acronyms
The letters of an acronym are pronounced separately and variants such as articles and prepositions within them are excluded.	An acronym is also considered an acronym when it can be pronounced as a single word and also when variants are included within it.
All the letters that make up an acronym are capitalized.	The acronyms that are also acronyms, only the initial is written in capital letters (thus, UNICEF is the correct way to write it and not UNICEF)
The letters of an acronym are not separated by spaces or periods, except when the statement is written in capital letters.	The letters of an acronym are not separated by periods and only acronyms that are a proper name are written with a capital initial.
An acronym is not underlined in any case, not even when phonetics and/or accentuation rules require it.	An acronym can be checked. (Fundeu, for example)