what is it called when you use abbreviations for words

Given these definitions, we can conclude that acronyms and initialisms are forms of abbreviation. According to, abbreviation is ‘a shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase, used as a symbol for the whole’, acronym is ‘a word formed from the initial letters of a sequence of words, as radar (from radio detection and ranging) or ANZAC (from Australian and New Zealand Army Corps)’ and initialism is ‘an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of a sequence of words, as ACTU (from Australian Council of Trade Unions) or LPG (from liquefied petroleum gas)’. People who are interested in completing tasks themselves rather than hiring professionals (aka DIY-ers) exist in all walks of life.First, let us define the terms abbreviation, acronym and initialism. This little beauty is used to refer to someone or something by another name – often a nickname, such as how your bro (might) refer to his newborn baby (“This is Eddie, aka ‘The poop machine'”), or how Chile refers to a much-loved footballer, Alexis Sanchez, aka ‘El Niño Maravilla’. Use this when filling out a form to show that particular section doesn’t apply to you. We’ve all got a few opinions. This is how you can express them. IMO – in my opinion (or IMHO – in my humble opinion) But, at the same time, you know it’ll be fun fun and that you may regret not going. Imagine: You’ve been invited out but don’t feel like going. FOMO – Fear of missing outĪnd with the weekend can come a some pretty serious FOMO. Sung by workers worldwide each Friday afternoon – the weekend is here! 11. “See you on Tuesday, ETA 9 PM.” You might see this when someone is traveling but is unsure of when their flight gets in. It means she doesn’t have everything organized just yet! 9. Remember your friend whose wedding invitation you need to RSVP ASAP to? Be careful if it says venue TBA or groom TBC. (And don’t “reply all” unless you REALLY want to!) 8. Quick etiquette tip: when adding people to the CC email field, remember they “can clearly” see who else has received the email. CC/BCC – Carbon copy/blind carbon copyĪlthough they refer to the age of email, these terms take their names from the analogue years, when copies were made using carbon paper. You probably celebrate yours each year with far too much cake, ice cream and requisite silly hats. Well, rest assured you do have a DOB – we all do. After all, it does sound like a poorly chosen item of clothing or foul type of medicine. “What IS my DOB?” you might have wondered the first time you saw this. Don’t sweat it – just let your friend know you’ll BRB. Sometimes when chatting, something demands our attention: be it the doorbell, a cat wanting to be let out or an irresistible caffeine craving.

LMK shows that your are expecting confirmation or more information. LMK – Let me knowĬasual, friendly – perfect for the end of a text. A “morning” alarm that goes off at 7 PM doesn’t help anyone! 4. Remember, don’t use them if you use 24-hour time (6 PM is the same as 18:00) and be careful to set your alarm correctly.

There’s a huge difference between 5 in the morning and 5 in the afternoon – and these little terms have it covered. AM/PM – Before midday (morning) and after midday (afternoon) Depending on the project, this may or may not cause panic – but in any case, you don’t have much time to think! 3. “Can you get this in ASAP?” reads the email from your boss. And yes, please do reply – that way, the bride or host knows exactly how many salmon fillets to order. You’ll see this request on invitations to weddings and other parties. RSVP stands for “Répondez s’il vous plait”. (Fun fact – “the” is usually added before an initialism but not an acronym, as in “I’m an interpreter at the UN,” or “I have an interview at NASA.”)Īs with so much of English, this comes from French. for adjective).Īcronyms are pronounceable, so you read them out as if they’re a name, and are formed by using the first letter of each word in a phrase (such as NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration).Īn initalism is when the word is pronounced letter by letter, such as the UN ( the United Nations). But first, a quick cheat sheet:Ībbreviations are shortened versions of words and sometimes end in a period (for example, accomm.

Here are 15 that you’ll encounter often and that every English speaker should know. And in English, you really can’t get away from them. Everyone loves a bit of code, and acronyms and abbreviations are great little tools that make communication faster and more fun, especially when trying to type fast on a slippery smartphone.

What is it called when you use abbreviations for words