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English acronyms and abbreviations
Abbreviations and acronyms are short versions of existing words and phrases. They were created to save time and/or space and even give more clarity when writing or reading a text.
What is an abbreviation?
Abbreviations are short pronunciations of words and expressions that we use daily.
Because of their qualities, they are very common and are often used in our daily communication, from titles like Dr. and Prof. , even road signs such as Av. and St.
They are formed using the most recognizable letters of the word or expression, making them easier to memorize and read. For example:
- Myster: Mr. _
- B or l evar d: Blvd.
- Corp.: 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, as is the case with the abbreviation AM (Ante meridiem).
The dot and abbreviations
There is no specific rule that indicates the use or not of the period in abbreviations. However, adding this point improves its recognition in a document, notice, text, etc.
On the other hand, some abbreviations never use a period, as with NY, LA and even USA.
What is an acronym?
You may already know some acronyms like NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ATM (automated teller machine).
An acronym stands for a series of words, such as a slogan or the name of an organization, for example.
Unlike abbreviations, acronyms or acronyms are constructed with the initials of words and do not have a stipulated rule that indicates how they should be pronounced, which is why there are two basic ways they can be read:
- As a whole word: NASA(National Aeronautics and S pace A dministration )
- Letter by letter (as spelled): NBA(N ational B asketball A ssociation)
When and how to use acronyms
Occasionally, you will need to explain the acronym used when writing. For this, it is recommended that:
If the acronym is more popular, it will be placed first and then the full name or phrase in parentheses.
