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Topic: Abbreviations

Topic: Abbreviations

25 articles. Page 3 of 3

AM and PM: How to Use in WritingHow to Use AM and PM

Use “a.m.” and “p.m.” to indicate exact time, and use numerals instead of words to denote the hour and the minute. These abbreviations are generally lowercased in running text, but they may also be capitalized.

Initialisms, Acronyms, Contractions: Types of AbbreviationsTypes of Abbreviations

Initialisms are abbreviations of which the letters are individually pronounced (UK, USA, ATM), while an acronym is pronounced as a word (NATO, UNICEF, laser). An abbreviation could also simply be a contraction (Dr., Mr.) or other shortened form (Prof., Dec.).

How to Form Plurals of Acronyms and AbbreviationsPlurals of Abbreviations

Form the plural of an acronym or other abbreviation simply by adding “s” to the end (URLs, CEOs). No apostrophe is necessary.

Periods in Acronyms and AbbreviationsPeriods in Abbreviations

Periods are not used in abbreviations with more than one capital letter, but contractions and other abbreviations with lowercase letters may contain a period (rtc., p.m., Dr.). No period is used after an abbreviated SI unit (kg, m).

How to Use Abbreviations in Formal WritingHow to Use Abbreviations

Accepted guidelines: Provide the full form of an abbreviation at first use. Avoid using abbreviations at start of sentence. Use “a” or “an” depending on how the abbreviation is pronounced. And more.

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