Blog Archives
Abbreviation rules and acronyms
Abbreviations are ways of shortening words without losing their meaning. Currently, they are widely used in the language of the internet.
Abbreviation, in short, is a way of reducing words without harming understanding. Its function, basically, is to facilitate and speed up communication.
Currently, the evolution of technology and the instantaneity of connecting with others have generated the need to communicate faster. Therefore, we save time when writing messages on social networks, emails and chats.
For example, the word “kisses” became “bjs”. However, there are others that existed before this revolution, such as “moto”, which is actually “motorcycle”. Others:
same = msm
also = tbh
photography = photo
pneumatic = tire
But, did you know that there are rules for making abbreviations and acronyms? This is because not all abbreviations are recognized by the standard, despite being widely used.
Rules for abbreviation: Abbreviation and Acronym
The abbreviation is just part of the written word following the general rule:
Although there are words that are exceptions like Companhia = Cia., there are still other rules:
- Words must be cut into consonants, never vowels.
- If there is an accent on the first syllable of the word, it must be kept (Example: séc. = century)
- If the second syllable starts with two consonants, both must be present in the abbreviation (Example: constr. = construction).
Already, the acronyms are used to reduce names of associations, societies, companies and the like. It is very common, for example, to see these abbreviations in scientific and journalistic texts.
However, there are rules for them too. For example, those with up to three letters are written in all capital letters. Meanwhile, for those with four or more letters, only the first letter should be capitalized. The others, therefore, remain lowercase.
Like for example:
UN = United Nations
CEP - Postal Address Code
SUS - Unified Health System
Detran – State Department of Transit
Embrapa – Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
Did you already know how to do abbreviation? And did you like the content? So, take the opportunity to see more in Conjunctions - What are they, how to use them, types and examples.
