The Difference between Abbreviations and Acronyms
19/10/17 The Difference between Abbreviations and Acronyms
- Abbreviations
An abbreviation (from Latin brevi³re → brevis meaning “short”) is a shortened form of a word or phrase used mainly in writing to represent the complete form. It usually has a full-stop at the end.
Examples: Lib. For Library / abbr. for abbreviation / approx. for approximate
- Acronyms
An acronym (from Latin acro- meaning “beginning” + -onym meaning “word, name”) is a pronounceable word formed mostly (but not always) from the initial letters of a descriptive name or title.
Examples: radar = radio detecting and ranging / ASAP = as soon as possible
The term initialism uses a similar method, but the word is pronounced letter by letter. Example: BBC British Broadcasting Corporation or USA United States of America.
And last but not least, there are symbols and/or units of reference, like min for minute or kg for kilogram.
