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What are abbreviations and acronyms?

In order to implement the labeling of abbreviations and acronyms in (X)HTML documents in a meaningful way, you could look up the exact difference between these terms in the dictionary.

According to the German Universal Dictionary, 5th edition (Mannheim 2003):

Shortcut:

… 3rd abbreviated word; abbr.: abbr.

Acronym:

Abbreviation formed from the first letters of several words (e.g. EDP from electronic data processing).

Admittedly, the distinction between the two terms is not clear. Also in the definition of "acronym" it is obvious that the given example consists of only two words. In contrast, the acronym in the same example contains three letters.

In order to simplify the distinction somewhat, I assume that acronyms are also used in the spoken language in the abbreviated form; "HTML" means " Hypertext Markup Language ", but almost everyone speaks of "HTML" and therefore "HTML" is an acronym in this sense.

Do you find the distinction too simple? Nevertheless, read on to the end to find out the practical use of this delimitation and a technically feasible solution for this BITV requirement.

OMG! 20 English Abbreviations You Should Know ASAP

OMG dear student, haven't you caught up on English abbreviations, acronyms and acronyms yet? LOL, well you're late because FYI, English abbreviations are very common and you can find them in any context, so at least recognizing and understanding them is a must if you want to communicate like a true native speaker.

Abbreviations, acronyms and acronyms are incredibly useful to communicate quickly and efficiently in writing because life is too short to write long WhatsApp messages, right? Why write three words (Oh My God) when we can only use three letters (OMG)?

In this post you will find the most important abbreviations in English and their meaning. We will review the most used both at work and in everyday and informal situations and we will see examples of all of them because the context is everything and you know it!

The most common abbreviations at work

In the professional field, abbreviations abound. Even in Spanish-speaking countries, it is very normal to find abbreviations in English. These are the most used:

Abbreviation

ASAP

FYI

btw

CEO

OMW

ATM

AKA

FAQ

ETA

TBD / TBC

Meaning

As Soon As Possible

For Your Information

By The Way

chief executive officer

On My Way

At The Moment

Also Known As

Frequently Asked Question

Estimated Time of Arrival

To Be Discussed / To be Confirmed

Translation

as soon as possible

for your information

by the way

executive director (the top boss)

(I'm) on my way

at this time, currently

also know as

frequently asked question

approximate / estimated arrival time

to discuss or comment / to confirm

Don't you believe us when we tell you that every professional email contains at least one abbreviation? Check out this exchange👇

Hi Phillip,

Welcome back! I hope you had a nice holiday.

FYI, we have a meeting with the CEO (AKA the monster) later on. We still do n't know her ETA but I thought we should start prepping for the usual FAQs ASAP.

What do you think?

Best,

Isabel

Hey Elizabeth,

Thanks for your email.

I'm OMW to you with a few notes from last month's meeting. Some points are still TBC, but that shouldn't be an issue.

BTW, I'm going to grab some coffee before our meeting, do you want me to bring you some?

See you in a bit,

Phillip

The most used abbreviations in English in social networks

Whether on Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, English abbreviations ABOUND. The mythical LOL was only the beginning of a long list of abbreviations in English that the Internet brought us.

Given the widespread and frequent use that we give to social networks, new abbreviations appear almost daily. But worry not, dear student, here we bring you the most common and updated:

Abbreviation

LOL

omg

wtf

I.D.K.

TBH

LMAO

YOLO

IRL

Meaning

Laughing Out Loud

oh my god

what the fuck

Direct Message

I Don't Know

To Be Honest

Laughing My Ass Off

Right Now

You Only Live Once

In Real Life

For Real

Translation

laughing out loud

OMG

what the fuck?

Private message (Instagram)

I do not know

To be honest

Breaking my ass (laughing)

Right now

You only live once

In real life

really seriously

Everyday Abbreviations

Abbreviations are so embedded in English that native speakers often don't even remember their literal meaning. These are the most used:

Abbreviation

A.M

P.M

PhD

GDP

DOB

Meaning

From Latin Ante Meridiem.

From Latin Post Meridiem.

BeforeChrist

From Latin Anno Domini.

Doctor of Philosophy

Gross Domestic Product

Date Of Birth

Translation

before noon (12:00)

after noon (12:00)

BC (before Christ)

AD (after Christ)

doctor, doctorate

GDP (Gross Domestic Product)

date of birth

Let's see how we use these abbreviations in context:

School starts at 8:30AM.
School starts at 8:00.
Shall we meet at 7PM for dinner?
Shall we meet for dinner at 19:00?
The battle took place in 31 BC.
The battle took place in 31 a. c.
The fall of the Roman Empire began in 313 AD
The fall of the Roman Empire began in 313 AD. c.
Lucy got her PhD at Harvard University.
Lucy earned her Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Many countries' GDP decreased in 2020.
The GDP of most countries decreased in 2020.
Please write your DOB next to your name and surname.
Please write your date of birth next to your first and last name.

Official bodies: their abbreviations in English

If you open any newspaper in English, you will find some abbreviation of official and international organizations. Normally there is also an equivalent in Spanish but the acronyms are usually different. Notice:

Abbreviation

QUIEN

BBC

BORN

NGO

Meaning

World Health Organization

British Broadcasting Corporation

United Nations

European Union

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Non-Governmental Organization

Translation

WHO (World Health Organization)

British Broadcasting Corporation (the UK's public radio and television service)

UN (United Nations Organization)

EU (European Union)

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

NGO (Non-Governmental Organization)

In English, some of these acronyms are accompanied by articles and others are not. Let's see how they work:

Following the WHO's advice, masks are now mandatory indoors.
According to WHO recommendations, masks are mandatory indoors.
Many people believe the BBC is the most reliable news source.
Many people believe that the BBC is the most reliable news source.
The UN has issued a warning on the effects of global warming.
The UN has issued a warning about the effects of global warming.
The UK is no longer part of the EU.
The UK is no longer part of the EU.
NATO has intervened in the Afghanistan
NATO has intervened in the conflict in Afghanistan.
She had always wanted to work for an NGO, so she joined Doctors Without Border.
She had always wanted to work for an NGO, so she joined Doctors Without Borders.

OMG! You made it! TBH, this was quite a long post!

Hell yeah, dear student, now you're ready to send emails, WhatsApp and understand natives like a pro!

If you are wondering how to pronounce some of these abbreviations when you are speaking, in this post we have left you some tips that will be very useful to you.

But before you go… are you able to decipher the following WhatsApp conversation? Leave us the translation in the comments or continue with the exchange yourself! 😄

– OMG, did you hear about Beth's Instagram boyfriend?

– LOL, I know!! I never thought they'd meet IRL after only a few DMs TBH…

– LMAO, I need to hear the details RN!!!!

– IDK, I think it was kinda risky of her to meet up with him. What if he hadn't been FR?

– I think it sounds like a fun experience, YOLO after all…

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