abbreviation
shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase, used to represent the whole.
Examples:
– Dr. (Doctor)
– U.S. (United States)
– lb. (pound)
initialism
abbreviations that are pronounced one letter at a time.
Examples:
– FBI
– HTML
– IBM
– DVD
– BTW
acronym
abbreviations that are pronounced as words
Examples:
– NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
– AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
– Scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus)