Abbreviations for Courtesy Titles and Academic Degrees Although this type of slang isn’t appropriate for important correspondence like emails to your professor or colleagues, or in online comments when you want to be taken seriously, it can be handy for informal online chatting, especially if you type slowly. Internet slang often takes the form of initialisms: LOL, IDK, IMO, BRB. If you need to use an indefinite article before an acronym or initialism, use the initial sound of the word (not necessarily the initial letter) to guide your choice.

NFL (National Football League), for example, is pronounced en-eff-ell. Unlike acronyms, however, initialisms are pronounced as a series of letters. Initialisms are similar to acronyms in that they are also formed using the first letter of each word in a longer phrase.

The words scuba and laser, for instance, originated as acronyms ( self contained underwater breathing apparatus and light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, respectively). Occasionally, an acronym becomes so commonplace that it evolves into an ordinary word that people no longer think of as an acronym. It stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (When fully spelled out, the words in acronyms and initialisms do not need to be capitalized unless they entail a proper noun.)Īn acronym is pronounced as a single word, rather than as a series of letters. Typically, acronyms and initialisms are written in all capital letters to distinguish them from ordinary words. Both acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations that are formed by combining the initial letter or letters of each word into a longer name or phrase.

Acronyms and InitialismsĪbbreviations come in a few different varieties. If the abbreviation is obscure or unfamiliar, make sure to explain what it means the first time you use it. The other thing to remember is that some readers may not know what an abbreviation means. If you are writing something very formal, it’s better to err on the side of spelling things out. One thing to remember about abbreviations is that certain ones are considered informal.

Letter abbreviations for words