http://www.englishforums.com/English/GeneralEnglishVocabularyIdiom-Questions/Forum29.htmHelp with defining words and idioms, and new words and idioms that you've learntenXMOD (Build: 3598.39794)http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#778680Sat, 13 Jun 2009 16:22:45 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:778680Tanit0http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#778680http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-778680.xmlHi, When I click on those two links, I get error 404 - file not found Clive Clive, I've fixed his/her link. It should be working, now.http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#778099Fri, 12 Jun 2009 23:42:12 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:778099Clive1http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#778099http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-778099.xmlHi, When I click on those two links, I get error 404 - file not found Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#777940Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:32:43 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:777940Anonymous2http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#777940http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-777940.xmlThis link sums it all up really well. initialism vs. abbreviation vs. acronymhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#312092Fri, 08 May 2009 11:45:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:312092Grammar Geek3http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#312092http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-312092.xmlThank you Fiona, but I did not find that your response was different from the ones given previously. We'll look forward to hearing more from you - linguistic students tend to have a lot of insight. Why not think about registering?http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#312063Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:45:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:312063Anonymous4http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#312063http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-312063.xmldear friends. i'm a student who in studying linguistic now. after i saw your answers, i found some mistakes. abbreviation is the commest way of shorting in english. it taks parts of the word e.g. esp.----especial acronyms is which take the initial letter pronounced as a word. e.g. UNESCO /junesco/ the one which you said like WTO, USA is called initialism, the initial letter is pronounced sepreately. they all belongs to shortings that's all Fionahttp://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#228080Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:45:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:228080Anonymous5http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#228080http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-228080.xmlabbreviation A shortened form of a word or phrase used chiefly in writing to represent the complete form; for example, U.K. for United Kingdom. Compare contraction. acronym A word formed from the initial parts of a name, such as NATO, from North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, or Commintern, from Communist International.http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#224328Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:45:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:224328Anonymous6http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/2/bcjhg/Post.htm#224328http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-224328.xmlFYI FAA W R G 2 K E A I O C.http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#172738Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:45:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:172738Forbes7http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#172738http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-172738.xmlUSA is not an acronym as it is not pronounced "user" but each letter is spelled out "U-S-A". Laser is an acronym as it is pronounced as a word. All acronyms are abbreviations, but not all abbreviations are acronyms.http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#172715Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:45:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:172715Anonymous8http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#172715http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-172715.xmlit is not clear. what isv the difference between these two. USA,LASER?http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#97750Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:45:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:97750pieanne9http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#97750http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-97750.xmlThat's quite clear! Maybe the dictionary regroups any abreviation that are used... Thanks, Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#97746Sun, 08 Mar 2009 12:45:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:97746bvpraveen10http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#97746http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-97746.xmlThat's it. Thanks a lot Clive.http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#96504Fri, 08 May 2009 11:45:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:96504Clive11http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#96504http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-96504.xmlHi everyone, An acronym is defined as initials that we pronounce as a word, so I don't know why FBI would be in an acronym dictionary. An abbreviation is a shortened word. Federal for example, could be shortened to Fed. or even to just F, so abbreviations can certainly just consist of initials. Examples of abbreviations: MP, USA, RCMP, CIA, the UN, USSR, BBC, BA, IQ Examples of acronyms: NATO, UNESCO, AIDS, Sometimes the acronym eventually becomes an accepted word eg laser, radar Some items can be both, depending on how you pronounce it: eg UFO - we can say 'U F O' or 'YUFOH'. I hope this helps, Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#96448Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:45:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:96448pieanne12http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#96448http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-96448.xmlYet you can find FBI in the acronym dictionaryhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#96386Sun, 08 Feb 2009 12:45:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:96386bvpraveen13http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#96386http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-96386.xmlSo, is FBI an abbrevation? Are they correct? 1) Acronyms - AIDS, etc 2) Abbrevatios - CBI, WHO, etc Can you give me some more examples for both, so that I can understand them better. Thanks.http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#96082Fri, 08 May 2009 11:45:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:96082Clive14http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htm#96082http://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-96082.xmlHi, An abbreviation is a short form where a word is represented by a part of it, eg dept. for department. An acronym is initials that we pronounce as a word. FBI is not an acronym. NATO is, because we say 'naytoh'. Best wishes, Clivehttp://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htmWed, 08 Apr 2009 11:45:50 GMT946f00bb-57d3-4b7b-a9a2-059b5341af52:96073bvpraveen15http://www.englishforums.com/English/DifferenceAbbrevationAcronym/bcjhg/post.htmhttp://www.englishforums.com/English/comments29-96073.xmlFriends, Can you tell me the difference between Abbrevation and Acronym? I hardly find any difference.