Acronyms
Acronyms are words formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as they are spelled, not as separate letters. Examples include:
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acronym
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full form
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Aids
|
acquired immune deficiency syndrome
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NATO
|
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
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UNESCO
|
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
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SIM (card)
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subscriber identification module
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- Most acronyms can be written as capital letters or with only an initial capital letter.
- Some acronyms are so established that they are now ‘normal’ words, generally used without conscious awareness of their original full form. These words should be written in lower-case letters. Examples include:
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laser
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light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
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radar
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radio detection and ranging
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quango
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quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization
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scuba
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self-contained underwater breathing apparatus
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