The significant difference between an acronym and an abbreviation is that an acronym has to do with a new term created from the first letters of a sequence of phrases. In contrast, an abbreviation is any curtailed arrangement of a term or word. An acronym is pronounced as a phrase. Abbreviations and acronyms are two methods of trimming a long class of phrases or a big term. There are various methods to create an abbreviation, and acronyms are a particular arrangement of abbreviations.
What is an Abbreviation?
The term abbreviation is derived from the Latin phrase “breves,” known as short. An abbreviation is a curtailed arrangement of a term or phrase. Generally, an abbreviation of a phrase starts with the first letter of the phrase and consists of a class of letters from the phrase. We make use of lots of abbreviations in our everyday existence. Some instances are Mr used for Mister, prof. for professors, Dr. For doctors, govt. For government, and then ex. For example. There are various methods to arrange abbreviations. Some of these have to do with contractions, acronyms, and initialism. A contraction is a simple curtailed phrase arrangement created by taking out specific sounds or letters. For instance, I’m, don’t, won’t, etc. On the other hand, initialism has to do with an abbreviation created by the initial letters of a sequence of phrases. For instance, DIY, which means Do It Yourself, CEO, which means a chief executive officer; ASAP, which means As soon as possible; FBI, which means federal bureau of Investigation; etc. An initialism is not evident as a phrase; the letters are read out respectively.
What is Acronym?
An acronym is an arrangement of abbreviations. Like initialism, it takes up the first of every phrase in the words or class of phrases. The most evident characteristic of an acronym that separates it from other abbreviations indicates that it is pronounced as a respective term. For instance, Unicef is an acronym for United Nations International Children Emergency Funds. However, we call it a personal term. Also, the acronym possesses both consonants and vowel sounds in them, which causes it to be simple to pronounce them. Acronyms are commonly penned down in capital notes which include; RIP, which means Rest In Peace, AIDS which means Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome, SIM which means Subscriber Identification Module, RAM which is Random Access Memory, ROM, which means Read Only Memory, NATO, which means North Atlantic Treaty organization, etc. Hence, some acronyms have been in use for a very long period such that they are now regarded as personal terms. These are also penned down with the usage of lowercase notes, some of which have to do with a laser which means light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, and scuba, which means self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.
Difference Between Acronyms and Abbreviations
- The acronym has to do with a new term arranged from the initial letters or sequence of phrases. The abbreviation is described as any curtailed arrangement of a phrase or term.
- The acronym can be pronounced as a phrase, while an abbreviation or initialism can not be pronounced as a phrase.
- The acronym is arranged from the first letters of a sequence of phrases. But abbreviations are not arranged from the first notes.
- Instances of the acronym have to do with laser, nato, sim, Aids, etc., while the instances of abbreviations include Mr, Dr, Prof, Ex., govt, and more.
