Frequently-asked questions acronym

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Mancroft

#244062 Mon, 10 Jul 06 01:43 AM

What should the correct acronym for Frequently-asked Questions be?

Presumably, frequently-asked is an adjective and so should be hyphenated.

So, which is correct?

F-AQs
F-aQs

but surely not

FAQs

and certainly not

FAQ's with the greengrocer's apostrophe.

Mancroft

Joined on Sun, Jul 9 2006

New Member (22)

Apostrophes

Philip

#244063 Mon, 10 Jul 06 01:45 AM

Mancroft wrote:
What should the correct acronym for Frequently-asked Questions be?

Presumably, frequently-asked is an adjective and so should be hyphenated.

So, which is correct?

F-AQs
F-aQs

but surely not

FAQs

and certainly not

FAQ's with the greengrocer's apostrophe.

I'm not an expert with acronyms, but I know of no rule that says that a plural word in one must be acknowleged as being so. I'd forget the s altogether.

Philip

Joined on Thu, Jun 23 2005

USA Pacific Northwest (Seattle)

Veteran Member (6,181)

At reise er at leve! - H. C. Andersen

Plurals, Apostrophes, Plural words

Likeguslee

#244066 Mon, 10 Jul 06 02:01 AM

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, FAQ is the correct acronym for frequently asked questions. Note the absence of a hyphen between frequently and asked. Here is the excerpt:

FAQ (fak) noun

Acronym for frequently asked questions. A document listing common questions and answers on a particular subject. FAQs are often posted on Internet newsgroups where new participants ask the same questions that regular readers have answered many times.

Microsoft® Bookshelf® Computer and Internet Dictionary© 1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Portions, Microsoft Press® Computer Dictionary, Third Edition. Copyright © 1997 by Microsoft Press. All rights reserved.

Likeguslee

Joined on Mon, Jun 5 2006

USA

Full Member (330)

Nouns, Hyphens