Acronyms, Abbreviations and Initialisms (defined)

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)