An acronym is an abbreviation made from the first letters or parts of several words and said as a word of its own, like NATO or scuba. Every acronym is an abbreviation, but not every abbreviation is an acronym: FBI, which you say letter by letter, is usually called an initialism.
Have you ever wondered what exactly an acronym is, or what the difference is between an acronym and an abbreviation? Opinions on acronyms vary depending on the source you use. Still, while people see some details differently, the basics are the same. Here is what you need to know.
What are acronyms?
Dictionaries define an acronym as an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words. Once those letters are put together, they are pronounced as a whole word. A well-known example is NATO, short for North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Others are AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) and scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus).
Some acronyms are used so often that they become ordinary words. Few people think of scuba as an abbreviation anymore, and it is written in lower case like any other word.
So, in short, an acronym is built from the first letter of each word. Many people use the word more loosely, though, and also call a letter-by-letter abbreviation such as ATM (automated teller machine) an acronym. More on that below.
Older styles often put a period after each letter (N.A.T.O.), but today most writers leave the periods out. If you are unsure about a particular acronym, look it up in a dictionary.
For the short forms that fill office emails, such as FYI and ASAP, see FYI or FYA? How to read and write office acronyms.
We all use acronyms
Most people use acronyms every day, often without noticing. And not every acronym is formed from the first letter of each word alone. Sometimes the first syllables of the words, or their first few letters, make up the acronym.
A good example is the brand name Nabisco, which many people know from its snacks and cookies. Fewer know that it stands for National Biscuit Company: it takes the first two or three letters of each word. Whether they name a brand or simply make long terms shorter and easier to say, acronyms are part of everyday language.
Acronyms vs abbreviations
Abbreviation is the general term for any shortened form of a word or phrase. Acronyms are one kind of abbreviation, and initialisms are another. Many abbreviations of a single word end with a period, such as Jan. for January or Dr. for Doctor, while acronyms usually have none.
The main difference between an acronym and an initialism is how you say it. An acronym is read as a whole word. An initialism is read aloud letter by letter. OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) is an acronym, because you say it as one word. FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) is an initialism, because you say each letter: F, B, I.
| Kind | How you say it | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Acronym | as one word | NATO, OPEC, scuba |
| Initialism | letter by letter | FBI, ATM |
| Other abbreviation | usually as the full word | Jan., Dr. |
Sticklers and grammarians often disagree on what counts as an acronym. Some dictionaries accept the broader sense and call FBI an acronym too, while many style guides keep the two apart. Like many questions of English usage, it is a matter of opinion as much as of rules.
In the end, remember this: an acronym forms a new word from the parts of other words, while other abbreviations simply shorten a word or phrase. Whichever kind you use, spell it the same way throughout a text. Here is why grammar and spelling matter in the first place.