Abbreviations are shortened forms of words and phrases. In the past, when all writing was done by hand, abbreviations saved time and space. Today, although most of what we read is printed, so much information is available that we need abbreviations for much the same reasons. In government, business, sports, the sciences, and other fields are writing, the abbreviated forms make a sort of language within a language.

No Single Set Rule For Abbreviations: There are various ways of abbreviating words. A part of the whole word followed by a period may be used. It is often the first syllable or letters, as in Mon. for Monday, Jan. for January, co. for company or country. Some words are shortened to the first and last letters-pr. for pair, yr. for year, Mr. for Mister. In other cases key letters are selected-TV for television, pkg. for package. Modern abbreviations often use initials, and many omit periods (CB, mpg, UFO). Initials for many Latin phrases are used as abbreviations. Here the period is retained. For example, the letters i.e. stand for the Latin id est, which means “that is” No., meaning number, goes back to numero, the Latin word meaning “by number.”

People often make up their own abbreviations, and some of these, like VIP (very important person), come into general usage. Your notebook. may contain abbreviations that you have made up yourself.

Acronyms: An acronym is a word formed from the initial letters in a phrase or title. It is pronounced as a single word, not as a series of letters. OPEC and NATO, two such forms, stand for names of organizations. These acronyms, like many others, omit periods.

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