The word acronym is formed from the Greek roots akro-, meaning 'height, summit, or tip', and -nym, 'name'. This neoclassical compound appears … See more

• Pronounced as letters
• Pronounced as word; initials only
• Pronounced as word; initials and non-initials See more

Acronymy, like retronymy, is a linguistic process that has existed throughout history but for which there was little to no naming, conscious attention, or systematic analysis until relatively recent times. Like retronymy, it became much more common in the twentieth … See more

In general, abbreviation, which includes acronym, is any shortened form of a word or phrase. This includes letters removed from the end of a word such as prof. for professor, letters … See more

It is an unsettled question in English lexicography and style guides whether it is legitimate to use the word acronym to describe forms that use initials but are not pronounced as a … See more

Punctuation
Showing the ellipsis of letters
In English, abbreviations have previously been marked by a wide variety of punctuation. … See more

Pseudo-acronyms and orphan initialisms
Some apparent acronyms or other abbreviations do not stand for anything and cannot be … See more