an abbreviation is a shortening of individual words,like Dr is to Doctor.
An acronym is a shortening of common or well known phrases containing multiple words, using the initial letters or syllables, as TGMTFH is to that gives me the fackin' horn.
(An acronym is a shortening of common or well known phrases containing multiple words, using the initial letters or syllables, as TGMTFH is to that gives me the fackin' horn.
Damocles wants no part of your debauchery,
Thu 5 Mar 2009, 10:23,
archived)
Noan acronym is a word (hence the -onym suffix) formed from the intial letters of a phrase
for instance:
laser
scuba
NATO
TGMTFH is not a word, so it's not an acronym. You're correct that it's not really an abbreviation, though - it's an initialism.
(for instance:
laser
scuba
NATO
TGMTFH is not a word, so it's not an acronym. You're correct that it's not really an abbreviation, though - it's an initialism.
RiffRaff lurking like a lurky thing,
Thu 5 Mar 2009, 10:27,
archived)
just because you don't knowhow to pronounce it doesn't mean it's not a word :p
And if it has to be a word, why is CEO accepted as an acronym, when nobody says it as a word, they say it as C-E-O? And for that matter, what qualifies something as a word? Is OPEC a word? I'm pretty sure it's not. Just because it's simple to pronounce something doesn't make it a word. I'm pretty sure SNOFFAGUMP isn't a word, but it's easy to say. Autochthon is a word, but just by reading it you probably wouldn't get the right pronunciation.
and also, onym means word OR name.
(And if it has to be a word, why is CEO accepted as an acronym, when nobody says it as a word, they say it as C-E-O? And for that matter, what qualifies something as a word? Is OPEC a word? I'm pretty sure it's not. Just because it's simple to pronounce something doesn't make it a word. I'm pretty sure SNOFFAGUMP isn't a word, but it's easy to say. Autochthon is a word, but just by reading it you probably wouldn't get the right pronunciation.
and also, onym means word OR name.
Damocles wants no part of your debauchery,
Thu 5 Mar 2009, 10:34,
archived)
The OEDstates an abbreviation is a contraction of a word, or phrase.
(
Redsushi! Whoop! Whoop! Yes, that one!,
Thu 5 Mar 2009, 10:44,
archived)