[Magdalen] Acronyms and initialisms (was TECnical question)

[F von Prondzynski]

Kristin, I’m afraid your beloved is right. The two are separate concepts,
though increasingly people use the word ‘acronym’ as if it included
initialisms also. The difference between the two is that an acronym is
used in speech as a word, rather than a set of letters. NASA, as was
mentioned, is an example. But perhaps an even more interesting example is
‘radar’, which is in fact an acronym derived from ‘radio detection and
ranging’.

The latter example highlights another difference between acronyms and
initialisms. An acronym consists of initial letters or other parts of the
words referenced, whereas an initialism only uses the initial letters.

Ferdinand


Kristin Rollins wrote:

>On Mon, May 4, 2015, at 01:00 PM, Mahoney, W. Michael wrote:
>> Note that some acronyms get "spelled out"; OMB and DoD are examples.
>> Others get pronounced as words; NASA is example.  My guess is that if
>> "TEC"
>> ever came into common usage (and I hope it doesn't), it would be spelled
>> out.
>
>That fact leads to some warring of words in this household. My beloved
>makes a distinction between acronyms and initialisms and insists that
>they are two separate categories. If they are pronounced as words, they
>are acronyms; if they are not, they are initialisms. I maintain that
>initialism is the term for that subset of acronyms which are spelled
>out, but that all initialisms are acronyms, too.
>
>I suspect neither of us will ever budge from our positions.
>
>Kristin
>
>-- 
>  Kristin Rollins
>  kristin at verumsolum.com
>  Portsmouth, VA
>
>
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