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An acronym is a type of abbreviation that shortens a phrase by combining the first letter (or letters) of each word in the phrase to form a new pronounceable word. Here are some acronym examples:
A macronym, or nested acronym, is an acronym in which one or more letters stand for acronyms (or abbreviations) themselves. The word "macronym" is a portmanteau of " macro- " and "acronym". Some examples of macronyms are:
An abbreviation (from Latin brevis, meaning "short" [1]) is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method including shortening, contraction, initialism (which includes acronym) or crasis. An abbreviation may be a shortened form of a word, usually ended with a trailing period.
The abbreviation may be non-obvious. For example, "KU" is the University of Kansas and not "UK," which is commonly the University of Kentucky. In some cases, the nickname may be better known than the formal name. For example, "West Point" for the United States Military Academy or "UCLA" for the University of California, Los Angeles.
An abbreviation meaning “in case you missed it” FOMO. Fear of missing out. FWIW. An abbreviation meaning “for what it’s worth” LASER. Light amplification by stimulated emission of ...
initialism = an abbreviation pronounced wholly or partly using the names of its constituent letters, e.g., CD = compact disc, pronounced cee dee; pseudo-blend = an abbreviation whose extra or omitted letters mean that it cannot stand as a true acronym, initialism, or portmanteau (a word formed by combining two or more words).
Lists of acronyms contain acronyms, a type of abbreviation formed from the initial components of the words of a longer name or phrase. They are organized alphabetically and by field. They are organized alphabetically and by field.
It has all to do with how you're shortening any particular word or phrase. The post Acronym vs. Abbreviation vs. Initialism: What’s the Difference? appeared first on Reader's Digest.