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What Is an Abbreviation

An abbreviation is a short form of a word or phrase. Abbreviation serves various purposes in English language. Initialism is helpful in writing long names in short way, thus, saving space and makes it easy to read. It is also used to replace long cumbersome phrases and sentences. Some abbreviations are appropriate for informal writing but for formal writing, it is better to write whole word or phrase. If the abbreviation is obscure or unfamiliar, it is better to explain when using first time in your writing.

Acronyms and Initialisms


Both acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations. These are formed by combining the first letter of each word in a longer name or phrase. Usually, acronyms and initialisms are written in all capital letters to distinguish them from ordinary words.

Acronym and Initialism are pronounced differently. An acronym is pronounced as a single word, and people never thought it as an acronym.


Examples:

  • SWOT- is an acronym that stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats.
  • Unlike acronyms, however, initialisms are pronounced as a series of letters.

Examples:

  • ATM (Automated Teller Machine) is pronounced A-T-M.
  • Indefinite articles placed before acronym and initialism are according to the initial sound of the word rather first letter of the word.

Examples:

  • An MBA course.
  • Initialisms such as LOL, BRB, IDK, FYI are slangs and inappropriate to use in formal such as professional, business or academic communication. However, these can be used in informal communication such as chatting or texting family and friends.

Abbreviations for Courtesy Titles and Academic Degrees

Titles such as mister, miss, and doctor, also, the names of academic degrees such as bachelor of arts and doctor of philosophy are almost always abbreviated.

In American English, title abbreviations are followed by a period; in British English, the period is omitted.

The most common title abbreviations include:

Mr. = Mister

Mr. = Mister

Ms. = (pronounced “miss” or “miz”)

Sr. = Senior Jr. = Junior

Dr. = Doctor


Examples:

  • Mr. Brown asked Ms. Jennie if she had met Dr. Jack. (AmE)
  • Mr Brown asked Ms Jennie if she had met Dr Jack. (BrE)

The most common academic degree abbreviations include:


Examples:

  • B.S. = Bachelor of Science
  • B.A. = Bachelor of Arts
  • M.A. = Master of Arts
  • M.B.A. = Master of Business Administration
  • Ph.D. = Doctor of Philosophy

Placing periods with abbreviations is optional. Follow the style guide and be consistent with that throughout the document. When an academic degree is used like a title, it follows a person’s name and is set off by commas.


Examples:

  • Mary Boland, Ph.D., read her paper in the conference in 1991.

Latin Abbreviations

Latin abbreviations are also a part of English language. Period is used with Latin abbreviations.


e.g.: exempli gratia means “for example.” e.g. is used to provide specific examples of a generalization.


Examples:

  • Food allergies e.g. gluten allergy, nut allergy, fish allergy, dairy products must be considered in setting up a day nursery.
    i.e.: id est means “that is.” i.e. is used to make provided information more clear and specific.

Examples:

  • Services are not offered on weekend i.e. Saturday and Sunday
    etc.: et cetera means “and so forth.” etc. is used to provide few items of the detailed list.

Examples:

  • Salon offers various services such as manicure, pedicure, facials etc.

Other Common Abbreviations

There are few other abbreviations that are common in English. Keep in mind, abbreviations do not follow standardized format. So be consistent with style guide you follow in your document. For example, few style guides advise period with abbreviations, few do not. However, it is always better to use period rather skipping them.

Times and dates

a.m. (ante meridiem) = before noon

p.m. (post meridiem) = after noon

Examples:

  • The school opens at 7 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m.

Months:

Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, Jun., Jul., Aug., Sep., Oct., Nov., Dec.

Examples:

  • I started this job on Mar.18, 1990.

Days:

Mon., Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat., Sun.

Examples:

  • The setting will be closed from Fri.-Sun. each week.

Places:

U.S. (United States) U.K. (United Kingdom) E.U. (European Union) U.A.E. (United Arab Emirates)

Examples:

  • The flights from the U.A.E to the U.K. are banned for two months during pandemic.

Units of Measurement

in. (inches) ft. (feet) lbs. (pounds)

mm. (millimetres) cm. (centimetres) m. (meters)

mg. (milligram) g. (gram) kg. (kilogram)

Examples:

  • The parcel weighs 10 lbs., which is about 4.5 kg.