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Abbreviations in English

An abbreviation (abbreviation, abbreviated words) is an abbreviated spelling of a word or group of words. Any language is full of abbreviations, and we are so used to them that we use them everywhere. And if some of them are known to us from a young age, then we get to know some of them throughout our lives. It is necessary to know abbreviations, because among them there are not only simple, but also quite important abbreviations that will be useful in work, travel, business communicationand correspondence, as well as in many other areas of our lives. There are abbreviations in any language, moreover, each language borrows abbreviations from other languages. Sometimes we automatically use this or that abbreviation and do not remember how it stands for. Let's try to study the most important and common.

How are abbreviations pronounced in English?

1. Some abbreviations in English arespelled separately:
   • WHO (World Health Organization) - pronounce W - H - O - World Health Organization
   • BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) - British Broadcasting Corporation
   • UK (United Kingdom) - United Kingdom - Great Britain
   • USA (Unites States of America) - United States of America
   • PM (Prime Minister) - prime minister
   • MP (Member of Parliament) - member of parliament
   • EU (European Union) - European Union
   • PC (Personal computer) - personal computer
2. Other abbreviations are read like words and are called acronyms:
   • NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) - North Atlantic Alliance
   • AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) - AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)
   • HIV (Human immunodeficient virus) - HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
3. In English, there are abbreviations that are used only in writing, but in speech they are pronounced as full words:
   • Mr (Mister) - mister
   • Mrs (Mistress) — миссис
   • Dr (Doctor) - Ph.D.
   • St (Saint / Street) - saint or street
4. The following abbreviations in English are used in the organizational structure of the language:
   • _ - and so on - (Latin et cetera) - and so on
   • i. e. - that is to say - (Latin id est) - that is
   • NB- please note - (Latin nota bene) - notice well, note
   • RSVP- please reply - (French repondez s'il vous plait) - respond to an invitation
   • e. g. - for example - (Latin exempli gratia) - for example

All of these abbreviations, except for the first one, are spelled.

5. Some words are used in an abbreviated form if the style of speech is informal:
   • Lab (laboratory)
   • TV (television) - television
   • Exam (examination) - exam
   • Ad (advertisement)
   • Case (suitcase) - briefcase
   • Mum (mother) - mother
   • Phone (telephone) - telephone
   • Board (blackboard) — доска
   • Fridge (refrigerator) - refrigerator
   • Bike (bicycle) - a bicycle
   • Dad (father) — отец
   • Flu (influenza) - flu

These are the basic rules that abbreviations in English obey. Finally, let's add a few more:

• Blvd. _ (boulevard) - boulevard
• Emb. (embankment) - embankment
• Ave. _ (avenue) - avenue
• sq. (square) – area
• B. _ Sc. (Bachelor of Science) - Bachelor of Science
• M. _ A. _ (Master of Arts) - Master of Arts
• Ph. D. _ (Doctor of Philosophy) - Candidate of Science
• M. _ D. _ (Doctor of Medicine) - Doctor of Medical Sciences

When you come across an abbreviation in English, be sure to find out its full version and ask for a translation, because you don’t know in advance when you will meet it again! What's more, knowing important abbreviations will improve your English proficiency!