Acronyms

Acronyms are part of our natural vocabulary more than we realize. An acronym is really just an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words.

Acronyms can represent complete words or organizations that we commonly know, like NASA* or laser*, for example, and the word is formed by blending the string of initials. In this case, most of the time we know the acronym better than what the initials represent. Do you know what the letters in scuba stand for?* I don't.

In addition to blending initials, parts of words can be combined in different ways to form new words, such as modem (MODulator-DEModulator) and sonar (SOund Navigation And Ranging).

More commonly, acronyms aren't words, but initials that represent phrases or words that are often used in specific contexts, such as business (CEO, LLC, MBA)*.

Let's not forget about the world of computers, chatting, and texting. I'll start and stop with LOL.

When I attended the university, a common acronym was BYOB (bring your own beer), but you can't go wrong with TGIF (Thank God it's Friday).

What is your favorite acronym?




NASA = National Aeronautics and Space Administration
laser = light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
scuba = self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
CEO = chief executive officer
LLC = limited liability company
MBA = Master of Business Administration