acronyms
Initials pronounced together
Acronyms is the plural of acronym—a word formed from the initial letters of a phrase and pronounced as a single word: NATO, scuba, laser.
Strictly speaking, acronyms differ from initialisms like FBI or ATM, which are spelled out letter by letter, though acronym is often used loosely for both.
The military loves acronyms.
Federal space exploration bureau
Spelled-out letter shortening
- lettersAlphabetic characters or mail
- abbreviationShortened word form
- mnemonicTechnique for retention
- pronunciationManner of speaking words
backronym · blend · coinage · neologism · portmanteau · syllables · condensation · truncation
Three-letter abbreviation
- buzzwordsTrendy technical jargon
- terminologySubject-specific vocabulary
- lingoGroup-specific vocabulary
- alphabet soupPasta shaped like letters
gobbledygook · techspeak · bureaucratese · corporatespeak · initialisms
Armed forces collectively
- medicalOf healthcare practice
- technologyApplied scientific methods
- governmentAuthority over a state
- scientificOf or using research methods
corporate · internet · aviation · legal · academic · financial · computing · international
NASA
Federal space exploration bureau
UNICEF · AIDS · RADAR · AWOL · JPEG · GIF · ASCII · LED · PIN · OPEC
initialism
Spelled-out letter shortening
- lettersAlphabetic characters or mail
- abbreviationShortened word form
- mnemonicTechnique for retention
pronunciation · backronym · blend · coinage · neologism · portmanteau · syllables · condensation · truncation · contraction
TLA
Three-letter abbreviation
- buzzwordsTrendy technical jargon
- terminologySubject-specific vocabulary
- lingoGroup-specific vocabulary
alphabet soup · gobbledygook · techspeak · bureaucratese · corporatespeak · initialisms
military
Armed forces collectively
- medicalOf healthcare practice
- technologyApplied scientific methods
- governmentAuthority over a state
scientific · corporate · internet · aviation · legal · academic · financial · computing · international · organizational
- internet slangomg, yolo, hashtag, yeet, sus
- lexicologysynonyms, antonyms, homonyms, homophones, homographs
- vocabularyword, words, new words, term, terms
- wordsword meanings, word origins, word history, word roots, synonyms
- abbreviationsMr, Mrs, Ms, Dr, Jr
- language usejargon, idiom, idioms, slang, dialect