ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

 

By Viv Quarry (www.vivquarry.com)

 

Abbreviations are formed from the initial letters of two or more words and are used to represent a short form of the words, for example 'the UN'. Each letter is spelt as a letter in the alphabet e.g. /YOO EN/ and the letters are usually in capitals if the words, when written, start with a capital letter.

 

For speakers of Latin based languages like French, Spanish and Italian, a tip for understanding abbreviations and acronyms, especially with international and financial organisations, is first to reverse the order of the letters. It may not always work because sometimes individual words in the abbreviation are translated from English, but doing this will often get you close to the word order in your language.

 

English language and writing abbreviations

 

abbr. / abbrev. = abbreviation

approx. = approximately

ASAP = As soon as possible

B.A. = Bachelor of Arts

BCC = Blind carbon copy (anonymous copy of e-mail sent to)

B.Sc. = Bachelor of Science

c/o = care of  e.g. when sending a letter to someone staying at a friend's house

CAE = The Cambridge Advanced Examination

CC = Carbon copy (copy of e-mail message sent to)

cf = confer / compare

ch = chapter

cont'd = continued

Dip. = Diploma

ed = edited by

e.g. = for example (the letters stand for the Latin 'exempli gratia')

encl. = enclosed

etc. = and so on (stands for the Latin 'et cetera')

ext. = extension (telephone number)

FAO = For the attention of

FCE = The Cambridge First Certificate in English

fig = figure (drawing or picture)

ID = Identity

incl. = including / inclusive

info. = information

intro. = introduction

I.Q. = Intelligence Quota

LL.M = Master of Laws

M.A. = Master of Arts

misc. = miscellaneous (different examples of the same thing)

M.Sc. = Master of Science

N/A = Not applicable (does not apply)

NB = important note (stands for Latin 'nota bene')

p. = page

para = paragraph

Ph.d = Doctor of Philosophy

PTO = Please turn over (the page)

PP = pages

qv = see another entry (in a dictionary) - stands for the Latin 'quod vide'

ref. = reference (number)

RSVP = Please reply to this (invitation) - stands for the French 'Respondez s'il vous plait'

s.a.e. = Stamped addressed envelope (a prepaid envelope with the address written on it)

vocab. = vocabulary

 

Location, measurement, numbers and time abbreviations

 

1st, 2nd & 3rd = the first, the second and the third

C = Centigrade

cm = centremetre(s)

cwt = hundredweight

doze = dozen (12)

F = Fahrenheit

g = gram

GMT = Greenwich Mean Time

kg = kilogram

km = kilometre(s)

lb = imperial pound (weight)

m = metre(s) or million

max. = maximum

min. = minimum

N, S, E & W = north, south, east & west (only capital letters in geographical place names)

No. = Number

oz = imperial ounce (weight)

p.a. = per year (from the Latin 'per annum')

pt = imperial pint (liquid)

Rd. = Road

St. = Street

t = Ton (weight)

tel. no. = telephone number

tsp = teaspoon (cooking)

tbsp = tablespoon (cooking)

Xmas = Christmas

 

Financial, commercial & business abbreviations

 

CV = Curriculum Vitae (resume in American English)

Dept. = Department

FTAA = Free Trade Area of the Americas

GM crops = Genetically Modified crops ('Transgenicos' in Portuguese)

IMF = The International Monetary Fund

IBRD - The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

IADB = The Inter-American Development Bank

ILO = International Labour Organisation

IRS = Internal Revenue Service (USA)

GNP = Gross National Product

GDP = Gross Domestic Product

GNI = Gross National Income

Ltd = Limited (company)

NASDAQ = National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (system)

PA = Personal Assistant or Public Address (system)

plc = pubic limited company

p.p. = signed on behalf of (from the Latin 'per procurationem')

VAT = Value Added Tax (Government tax on luxury goods)

VIP = Very important person

 

International and governmental organisations

 

CIA = The Central Intelligence Agency (International Security USA)

EEC = The European Economic Community

EU = The European Union

FAA = Federal Aviation Administration (USA)

FAO = Food and Agriculture Organisation

FBI = The Federal Bureau of Investigation (Internal Security USA)

FDA = Food and Drugs Administration (USA)

IAEA = The International Atomic Energy Agency

IOC = The International Olympic Committee

MI5 = Military Intelligence 5 (National Security UK)

MI6 = Military Intelligence 6 (International Security UK)

MP = Military Police or Member of Parliament

NGO = Non-governmental organisation

UN = The United Nations

UNO = The United Nations Organisation

UNHCR = Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

WFP = World Food Programme

WHO = The World Health Organisation

WTO = The World Trade Organisation

WWF =  The World Wildlife Fund

USA = United States of America

 

Acronyms

 

An Acronym is a word formed from an abbreviation, where instead of spelling the letters individually, the abbreviation is made into a new word e.g. SARS /SARZ/. An acronym is also usually written in capitals.

 

AIDS = Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

FIFA = The Federation of International Football Associations

NATO = The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

OPEC = Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries

SARS = Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

TOEFL = Test of English as a Foreign Language

UEFA = Union of European Football Associations

UNCTAD = United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

UNESCO = United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

UNICEF = United Nations Children's Fund (formerly the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund)

 

For more information on abbreviations and acronyms see this entry in the Wikipedia

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