
NFL (National Football League), for example, is pronounced en-eff-ell.
#SHOULD INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION BE CAPITALIZED SERIES#
Unlike acronyms, however, initialisms are pronounced as a series of letters. Initialisms are similar to acronyms in that they are also formed using the first letter of each word in a longer phrase. The words scuba and laser, for instance, originated as acronyms ( s elf c ontained u nderwater b reathing a pparatus and l ight a mplification by s timulated e mission of r adiation, respectively). Occasionally, an acronym becomes so commonplace that it evolves into an ordinary word that people no longer think of as an acronym. It stands for N ational A eronautics and S pace A dministration. )Īn acronym is pronounced as a single word, rather than as a series of letters. (When fully spelled out, the words in acronyms and initialisms do not need to be capitalized unless they entail a proper noun. Typically, acronyms and initialisms are written in all capital letters to distinguish them from ordinary words. Both acronyms and initialisms are abbreviations that are formed by combining the initial letter or letters of each word into a longer name or phrase. Acronyms and initialismsĪbbreviations come in a few different varieties.


If the abbreviation is obscure or unfamiliar, make sure to explain what it means the first time you use it.

The other thing to remember is that some readers may not know what an abbreviation means. If you are writing something very formal, it’s better to err on the side of spelling things out. One thing to remember about abbreviations is that certain ones are considered informal. Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly
