Page 119 - Perfect English Grammar: The Indispensable Guide to Excellent Writing and Speaking

Abbreviations are a way to shorten long words and phrases so we don’t have to
say the long version every time. They work much in the same way pronouns (see

section 10.0) do, in that we don’t always want to be saying a proper noun, but
instead make it easier by saying “she” or “he” for a person. In fact, abbreviating

is one of the major forms of language change. It balances out the very large
number of words, new ideas, and long language forms constantly being created.

In other words, as we make language longer, we also try to make it shorter.

9.1 Initialisms

Initialisms are made of the first or most important letters of a phrase given

together in all capitals, sometimes with periods between the letters and
sometimes without.

As with acronyms (see section 9.2), initialisms often do not assign a letter (in
the abbreviated form) for conjunctions, prepositions, or articles in the original

longer form, nor do the abbreviation’s letters have to be taken only from the first
letters of words. Initialisms are pronounced by saying the individual letter’s

names. Note that initialism is the preferred term among linguists and
lexicographers, but many laypeople use the term acronym for this variety of

word, as well.

■ exempli gratia: e.g.

■ ■ ■ dead on arrival: DOA deoxyribonucleic acid: DNA Federal Bureau of
■ Investigation: FBI id est: i.e.

■ ■ ■ ■ just kidding: j/k laugh(ing) out loud: LOL, lol oh my God: OMG, omg

■ National Collegiate Athletic Association: NCAA trinitrotoluene: TNT
■ United States of America: USA

9.2 Acronyms

Acronyms are made of the first letters of the words in a phrase; unlike
initialisms, they can be written and pronounced as a word.