Abbreviations vs Acronyms vs Initialisms
Many researchers and other professional writers use abbreviations in their scientific and medical writing. These abbreviations help to condense the text and create technical language for specialists in a particular field. And in some cases, these abbreviations become more well known than the expanded terms, such as DNA (the abbreviation for “deoxyribonucleic acid”) and MRI (the abbreviation for “magnetic resonance imaging”).
Abbreviations come in many forms and can include acronyms and initialisms. But what is the difference between abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms? Here are the definitions and a few examples of each.
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is the shortened form of a word or phrase.
Examples
vs = versus
dept = department
ave = avenue
etc = et cetera
Acronym
An acronym is a type of abbreviation that uses the first letters of words in a phrase to make a new pronounceable word.
Examples
ASAP = as soon as possible
LASER = light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
FOMO = fear of missing out
CRISPR = clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats
Note that because acronyms are a type of abbreviation, these examples could also be included with the examples for broader abbreviations.
Initialism
An initialism is a type of abbreviation that uses the first letters of words in a phrase to make a term that you pronounce with each letter.
Examples
VIP = very important person
LOL = laugh out loud
CDC = Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
NIH = National Institutes of Health
Note that because initialisms are also a type of abbreviation, these examples could also be added to the examples for broader abbreviations.
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