By Chinua Asuzu
Not every abbreviation is an acronym. Loosely, any shortened form of a word, phrase, or term is an abbreviation. But lawyers, linguists, and scholars draw distinctions between abbreviations, acronyms, clippings, contractions, and initialisms.
An acronym is usually an initialism pronounceable as a word. It’s typically formed from the first letters, parts, or syllables of the full term. Some acronyms are lowercased, others uppercased. Here are examples:
• AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
• ASAP (as soon as possible)
• ATOL (Air Travel Organizers’ Licensing)
• AWOL (absent without leave)
• Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)
• CALL (Computer Assisted Language Learning)
• ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement [a wicked US agency])
• Laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation)
• LED (light emitting diode)
• NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
• PIN (Personal Identification Number)
• radar (radio detection and ranging)
• scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus)
• SIM (as in SIM card) (subscriber identification module)
• SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation)
• snafu (situation normal, all fucked up)
• sonar (sound navigation and ranging)
• taser (Tom Swift’s electric rifle)
• UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law)
• WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant)
Any abbreviation that’s not pronounceable as a word AND not formed from the initial parts of the elements of the full term may be a clipping (e.g. “ad” for “advertisement”), contraction (e.g. “don’t” for “do not”), or initialism (e.g. “ATM” for “Automatic Teller Machine.”
Nice distinction! Understanding the difference between acronyms and abbreviations can really refine one’s writing and communication skills.