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- PARENTHETICAL ABBREVIATIONS FOR WORDS HOW TO
- PARENTHETICAL ABBREVIATIONS FOR WORDS FULL
- PARENTHETICAL ABBREVIATIONS FOR WORDS PROFESSIONAL
The rules for using acronyms can vary slightly.
PARENTHETICAL ABBREVIATIONS FOR WORDS HOW TO
Make sure to think about how to punctuate abbreviations in your own writing. He was born in the UK, but he lives in the U.S.A. ✔īut mixing these punctuation styles would be incorrect: He was born in the U.K., but he lives in the U.S.A. He was born in the UK, but he lives in the USA now. But make sure to apply a consistent style! For example, either of the following would be acceptable: Unless you’re using a style guide that suggests adding periods to certain abbreviations, this is usually a matter of preference. However, some style guides recommend using a period between letters in short initialisms, such as “U.S.A.” and “U.K.” It is also common to use periods in lowercase abbreviations, such as “a.m.,” “p.m.,” “e.g.,” and “i.e.” Most acronyms and abbreviations are written without punctuation, as shown in the examples above. Look out for this if you’re reading (or writing for) a British publication. However, some style guides (mostly those that focus on British English) recommend only capitalizing the first letter of acronyms (i.e., abbreviations pronounced as a single word). The CIA has investigated the claims twice. Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter! Capitalizing Acronyms and InitialismsĪs a rule, American English capitalizes every letter in acronyms and initialisms: “I will open a can of whoop-ass on any panda that gets in my way.”Īn important distinction, we’re sure you’ll agree. It would then be clear that you’re discussing the “World Wildlife Fund” and not the former employers of Stone Cold Steve Austin.
PARENTHETICAL ABBREVIATIONS FOR WORDS PROFESSIONAL
One example is the long-running battle for use of “WWF”, in which the conservation group grappled (pun fully intended) with the professional wrestling organization now known as the “WWE.”Īlthough “WWF” is a recognizable term, defining it in the first use would remove ambiguity. However, even with well-known terms, providing a definition can be helpful, since many acronyms have more than one meaning. Introducing an acronym isn’t necessary if the term is in common use, such as with “laser” (originally short for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation”).
PARENTHETICAL ABBREVIATIONS FOR WORDS FULL
This means you should not switch between the full and abbreviated versions of the same term unless there is a reason to do so (e.g., you have not used the abbreviation in a long time and need to remind the reader). To ensure clarity, try to use the acronym consistently throughout your document. The idea of NATO is to ensure security via a system of collective defense. Once introduced, you can use the shortened version in place of the full term: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has existed since 1949. You can do this by giving the full term first and the shortened version in parentheses: If using an acronym, you must introduce it with full terminology in the first instance so your reader knows what it means. You should also avoid using too many abbreviations since text dense with acronyms and technical jargon can be difficult to read. If a term is only used once or twice, there’s usually no need to use an acronym. To be specific, we shorten long technical terms to make our work easier to read, especially if they’re used repeatedly.įor instance, writing “MRI” instead of “magnetic resonance imaging” is a good idea if using this term a lot, since it’s easier to read. However, it’s worth remembering that there is a difference! When to Use Acronyms Since “acronym” is commonly used for both of these, we will continue using this term below. But each letter in an initialism is pronounced separately (e.g., FBI). Acronyms are pronounced as a single word (e.g., NASA). In addition, there is a difference between an “acronym” and an “initialism”. Acronyms are abbreviations where the first letters from each word in a phrase spell out a new term (e.g., when “National Aeronautics and Space Administration” is shortened to “NASA”).Abbreviations are shortened versions of words (e.g., when “Jan” is used in place of “January”).However, while all acronyms are abbreviations, there is an important difference: What Are Acronyms and Abbreviations?Īcronyms and abbreviations are both shortened forms of long terms or phrases. In this post, we cover how to use acronyms in a college paper. However, in academic writing, improper use of acronyms can detract from the clarity of your writing. After all, “IMO ppl uz 2 mNE lng wrds” is much more concise than “In my opinion, people use too many long words.” With the limited characters available on platforms like Twitter, we’re used to using acronyms and abbreviations in communication.