Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms

In case you missed them, National Grammar Day (March 4) and National Proofreading Day (March 8) happened recently. In honor of these fun holidays, let’s brush up on our grammar and proofreading, shall we? Granted, that’s a pretty big field; so, for today, let’s focus on common mix-ups many of us make when writing. Acronyms, initialisms, and abbreviations tend to trip us up, but with a little review we can master the terms and concepts and be confident when we use them.

Abbreviations

Just so we’re all on the same page, let’s agree with Merriam-Webster that an abbreviation is “a shortened form of a written word or phrase used in place of the whole word or phrase.”

So, USA is an abbreviation for United States of America. Simple enough, right?

There are actually different categories of abbreviations, and that is where the confusion starts.

Acronyms

An acronym is an abbreviation made of the first letters of each term in a phrase. The combination of letters is pronounced as a single word. Think of NATO or NAFTA.

Some acronyms have become so prevalent in our language that they are now accepted as regular words, like scuba or laser.

Did you catch the difference between abbreviations and acronyms? Abbreviations aren’t necessarily made of the first letters of each term in the phrase. Let’s look at the three examples below.

UK = United Kingdom

Amt = Amount

Mr. = Mister

While all three are abbreviations, only UK is an acronym.

Initialisms

But we have another subcategory to consider. An initialism is an abbreviation made up of the first letters of each term in a phrase, but each letter is pronounced separately. For example, think about how you say ATM, DVD, or CIA.

So, an initialism or acronym is always an abbreviation, but an abbreviation isn’t always an initialism or acronym.

Proper Usage

Now, who remembers our primary goal as writers, editors, and proofreaders? It’s to communicate ideas clearly. Using abbreviations can certainly help us write more clearly, but we need to use them properly for that to work. The best practice is for us to define acronyms and initialisms the first time we use them in a document. Give the full term, then follow it with the shortened form in parentheses.

So, if you’re writing a summary about endangered animals, your sentence could look like this: The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) found that the polar bear population decreased significantly over the last ten years due to global warming.

Another important item to remember when working with acronyms or initialisms is whether you need to introduce the term with an article. Which of the examples below do you think is correct?

I called the CIA.

I called the NASA.

The first example sounds best, doesn’t it? That’s because acronyms are pronounced as a single word. We use a definite article (the) more often with initialisms. If you need to use an indefinite article (a, an) before an acronym or initialism, make your decision based on the initial sound of the word.

I watched a NASA presentation.

I took an IQ test.

Simply Confusing

Is there more to ponder in the world of grammatically correct abbreviations? Absolutely. We could discuss how American and British English or various style guides treat abbreviations differently. There are several Latin abbreviations that are very popular but frequently misused. It can be daunting when something deceptively simple like an abbreviation becomes a pitfall. But that’s why I’m here to help. As a proofreader, I check your abbreviations for proper capitalization and punctuation, redundancies, and appropriate usage. If you’re struggling with abbreviations or other grammar rules in your writing project, let me know. I’d love to learn about your project and help make your writing bulletproof.