What are some popular abbreviations?

Some abbreviations you may have come across are: PC, DVD, LOL, IDK, NASA, PIN, and RADAR.

What are abbreviations?

Abbreviations are shortened forms of words or phrases where the meaning remains the same.

What is an abbreviation and example?

An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. An example of an abbreviation is PR , which uses the first letters of the phrase Personal Relations to create an abbreviated form.

What are the 5 types of abbreviation?

The term abbreviation can be used to refer to initialisms, acronyms, clippings, contractions, and blends.

Why are abbreviations used?

Abbreviations are used to create shortened forms of words or phrases that are quicker to type, text, say, or write. They can allow quicker and more efficient communication, especially when you consider texting on old mobile phones where you had to click through to the desired letter when typing.

Abbreviations: Meaning & Example

In this article, we'll look at:

Abbreviations
Origins of abbreviations
Types of abbreviation
Abbreviation examples
Possible confusing points surrounding abbreviations

Abbreviation Meaning

In its simplest form, an abbreviation is a shortened word or phrase. There are five different types of abbreviations, which can all be differentiated based on the shortening process they go through. They are:

Acronyms
Initialisms
Clippings
Contractions
Blends

Some examples of these abbreviations include:

LASER (acronym)
CD (initialism)
Lab (clipping)
Can't (contraction)
Motel (blend)

Abbreviations Computers StudySmarter Fig 1. There are many abbreviations used in relation to computer science to shorten long technical names or terms.

Each type of abbreviation differs in its shortening process but all create a shortened form of a word or phrase.

Origins of Abbreviations

Where do abbreviations come from? As with any word or phrase shortening, abbreviations are created to allow quicker and more effective communication. When the meaning of an abbreviation is universally known (such as ASAP), it can be used in full confidence that the reader will understand what is meant (as soon as possible). In some circumstances, the abbreviation becomes so well-known that the full form can get forgotten or disregarded.

Think of writing PS at the end of a letter or email. We all know that it means you've added a note at the end of your writing when you've already completed your letter, but does everyone know that it stands for the Latin term postscriptum, meaning written after?

When the abbreviated form of a word or phrase becomes more well-known than the long version, it has fully integrated into the English language and is a good way to save time.

Types of Abbreviation

Let's have a look at the different types of abbreviations and their characteristics so you can see how to differentiate them from one another.

Acronyms

Acronyms are a type of abbreviation that shorten a longer phrase into a singular word.

An acronym is a shortened phrase where the initial letter of each word is taken and put into a new word. This shortened form is then pronounced as a single word.

Some examples of acronyms are:

RADAR - Radio Detection And Ranging
LASER - Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
PIN - Personal Identification Number
SONAR - Sound Navigation And Ranging

It's not always the case that every word in a phrase has to be represented in an acronym - sometimes conjunctions or prepositions such as with, by, or and are left out so that the acronym can better form a single word.

Initialisms

An initialism is another form of shortened phrase where the initial letters of the words are used.

Initialisms are similar to acronyms except they are pronounced letter by letter and not as a single word.

Some examples of initialisms are:

FBI - Federal Bureau of Investigation
PR - Public Relations
PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
CIA - Central Intelligence Agency
FAQ - Frequently Asked Question

Acronyms and initialisms can often be confused as they go through a similar shortening process. In both, the initial letter of each word in the phrase is used to create either a word (in the case of acronyms like radar) or a list of letters (in the case of initialisms like CPU).

Clippings

A clipping can form either an abbreviated-type word (e.g., Mrs) or a well-known word that you may not know has been abbreviated (e.g., pub).

A clipping (or clipped abbreviation) occurs when a word is shortened due to letters or syllables being removed.

Some clippings have shorter spellings and pronunciations (photo for photograph), and some have shortened spellings but keep the original pronunciation (Mr. for mister).

Some examples of clippings are:

Sat Nav - Satellite Navigation
Dr. - Doctor
lb - pounds
pub - public house
gym - gymnasium

Abbreviations Scissors StudySmarter Fig 2. Clipped abbreviations are created when letters or syllables are clipped out.

Contractions

A contraction occurs when two words are joined together by replacing a letter or group of letters with an apostrophe.

Contractions are words formed by joining two or more words to create a shortened form. These shortened forms omit letters, which are represented by an apostrophe.

Some examples of contractions are:

can't - can not
shan't - shall not
it's - it is
goodbye - God be with you
you've - you have

Blends

Like contractions, blend words are formed by joining two or more words.

A blend word is created when two words with different meanings are joined to create a new word.

Some examples of blends are:

docudrama - documentary drama
emoticon - emotion icon
motel - motor hotel
mansplaining - man explaining
workaholic - work alcoholic

Blend words can also be referred to as portmanteau words.

Abbreviation Examples

Many abbreviations occur in specific fields, such as technology, medicine, and writing. We've already mentioned some examples, but let's have a look at a few more in specific fields.

Abbreviations in technology

Abbreviations are often used in technology to refer to the lexicon surrounding computers. Here are some examples:

PC - Personal Computer

CD - Compact Disc

DVD - Digital Video Disc

AV - Audio Visual

WWW - World Wide Web

ICT - Information and Communication Technology

HTML - Hyper Text Markup Language

DOS - Disc Operating System

API - Application Program Interface

CPU - Central Processing Unit

These are all one type of abbreviation - initialisms.

Can you think of any other abbreviations associated with technology?

Abbreviations in texting

One of the areas where you'll most often see abbreviations used in day-to-day life is instant messaging and texting. Here are some examples you'll likely be familiar with:

OMG - Oh My God

BRB - Be Right Back

LOL - Laughing Out Loud

TTYL - Talk To You Later

DM - Direct Message

ILY - I Love You

JK - Just Kidding

IDK - I Don't Know

LMK - Let Me Know

NVM - Never Mind

Like with the abbreviations associated with technology, these texting abbreviations are mostly initialisms. An exception could be the abbreviation LOL which can be pronounced either letter by letter (ell - oh - ell) or as a singular word (lol), meaning it can be both an initialism and an acronym.

Abbreviations - Gramograms

Another type of abbreviation you may often see in text-speak is gramorgrams.

A gramogram occurs when a word or phrase is phonetically similar to a letter, group of letters, or a number and can be written that way to represent the meaning.

Some examples of gramorgrams are:

CUL8R (see you later)
4C (foresee)
gr8 (great)
b4 (before)
R U OK? (are you okay?)
2 (to / too)
g2g (got to go)
NME (enemy)
4U2 (for you to/too)
IOU (I owe you)

Gramograms can also be referred to as letteral words.

Abbreviations Nokia brick StudySmarter Fig 3. Texting was more time-consuming and costly on older mobile phones, so abbreviations were often used to use fewer characters per text.

Abbreviations in text messaging occurred for a more specific reason than most other abbreviations. These were initially coined in the days of paying per character in a text, so people would try to make their messages as short as possible.

Abbreviations for Titles

Abbreviations are often used for titles when referring to people. Titles are most often clippings.

Here are some abbreviations for titles:

Mr - mister
Mrs - missus
Prof - professor
Dr - doctor

Abbreviations for Time

Abbreviations can be used to refer to times of day, historical times, time periods, or times of the year.

Some abbreviations for times are:

am - ante meridiem
pm - post meridiem
BC - Before Christ
AD - Anno Domini
BST - British Summer Time
DST - Daylight Saving Time
UTC - Universal Time Coordinated
GMT - Greenwich Mean Time

Abbreviations for Places

Most countries can be referred to by an abbreviated form.

Some examples of abbreviations for counties are:

UK - United Kingdom
USA - United States of America
Fr - France
Nc - New Caledonia
Nz - New Zealand
Aus - Australia

Some of these are initialisms and some are clippings - can you tell which are which?

Abbreviations for Measurements

Another area where abbreviations are used is in measurements. Some that you may have come across are:

cm - centimeters
m - meters
ml - milliliters
oz - ounces
g - grams
mm - millimeters

Now, let's clear up some areas that may cause confusion regarding abbreviations:

Abbreviation synonyms
Abbreviations vs. acronyms

Abbreviation Synonyms

There aren't any specific synonyms for the term abbreviation, although the terms acronym and abbreviation are often confused.

It's best to remember that the term abbreviation is actually a cover-all term used to refer to the five following word types:

acronyms
initialisms
clippings
contractions
blends

Abbreviation vs. Acronym

It's a common misconception that abbreviations and acronyms are different things. The truth is, acronyms are a type of abbreviation. The terms can sometimes be used interchangeably when referring to acronyms, however, abbreviations won't always be used to refer solely to acronyms.

To prevent yourself from confusing the terms, remember the following:

All acronyms are a type of abbreviation
Not all abbreviations are acronyms
There are five types of abbreviations:
- acronyms
- initialisms
- clippings
- contractions
- blends

Abbreviation List

Now that we've gone over all the different types of abbreviations, let's have a look at some examples for all of them.

Abbreviations
Initialisms (Alphabetic Abbreviations)	Acronyms	Clippings	Contractions	Blends
HD - High Definition	SCUBA - Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus	Sci-Fi - Science Fiction	Don't - do not	Brunch - breakfast + lunch
IT - Information Technology	NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation	ft. - foot / feet	Can't - can not	Spork - spoon + fork
ROFL - Rolling On the Floor Laughing	ASCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange	cm - centimeters	I've - I have	Ginormous - gigantic + enormous
AFK - Away From Keyboard	FOMO - Fear Of Missing Out	srsly - seriously	it's - it is	Moped - motor + pedal
BTW - By The Way	FLOTUS - First Lady Of The United States	lab - laboratory	goodbye - God be with you	Camcorder - camera + recorder
UFO - Unidentified Flying Object	DUFF - Designated Ugly Fat Friend	ml - milliliters	shan't - shall not	Biopic - biographical + picture
FYI - For Your Information	GOAT - Greatest Of All Time	teen - teenager	won't - will not	Sportscast - sports + broadcast
RIP - Rest In Peace	BOGOF - Buy One Get One Free	typo - typographical error	you'd - you would / had	Smog - smoke + fog
AM - Ante Meridian	BAE - Before Anyone Else	vet - veterinarian	hasn't - has not	Cockapoo - Cocker spaniel + poodle
ER - Emergency Room	UNICEF - United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund	lunch - luncheon	shouldn't - should not	Vlog - video + blog

Abbreviations - Key takeaways

The term abbreviation is a blanket term used to refer to initialisms, acronyms, clippings, contractions, and blends.
Initialisms are shortened forms of phrases where the first letter of each word is taken and pronounced individually.
- E.g. UFO or PM
Acronyms are shortened forms of phrases where the first letter of each word is taken and pronounced as a single word.
- E.g. LASER or PIN
Clippings are shortened words or phrases where some letters or syllables are removed.
- E.g. gym or Sci-Fi
Contractions are created when two or more words are joined together and shortened by removing letters that are replaced with an apostrophe.
- E.g. can't or you've
Blends are formed when two words are joined together to make one word with a combined meaning.
- E.g. brunch or motel

References

A. Akmajian, R. Demers A. Farmer, R. Harnish. Linguistics: An Introduction to Language and Communication.2001.

Abbreviations

StudySmarter Editorial Team

Abbreviation Meaning

Origins of Abbreviations