Some are only partially pronounced, like HVAC.Īcronyms formed from the first parts of words (rather than just the initial letters) tend to become words themselves, like hazmat (hazardous materials) and motel (motor hotel).

Some initialisms become acronyms by virtue of being spoken out loud frequently enough to become more like a word than a set of letters: both ASAP and LOL are frequently pronounced as words. Initialism is the older term, dating to the mid-1800s. In German, the term Akronym had been used since the 1920s. It entered the language around 1940, made from the Greek word akros, meaning “topmost” or “highest,” combined with -onym, from the Greek word onyma (“name” or “word”). Our online dictionary has entries for some 1500 abbreviations that use only capital letters, like ACLU, BBQ, CPR, DIY, POV, PTSD, and YMCA.Īcronym is a relatively new word made up of ancient parts. Other common acronyms are ASCII, UNICEF, DARPA, and the governmental terms POTUS, FLOTUS, and SCOTUS.Īn initialism is an abbreviation formed from initial letters. Some acronyms are spoken so frequently that we begin to think of them as words, like radar (radio detection and ranging), scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus), and laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation). The definition of acronym, “a word formed from the initial letter or letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term,” means that acronyms can be differentiated from other abbreviations because they are pronounceable as words. The confusion starts when we pronounce the letters of these abbreviations like a word, like NATO. Additionally, compare these examples of common initialisms to ensure you know the difference between them, as well.Acronyms like 'scuba' ('self-contained underwater breathing apparatus') are pronounceable as words.

Test out your knowledge with a few more examples of abbreviations and acronyms.

Letter abbreviations for words