Acronyms and Initialisms

[Merlin5]

'An acronym is an initial abbreviation that can be pronounced as a word, such as NASA or WASP. This term is also used to refer to a series of initials pronounced individually, such as FBI or TGIF, but the technical term is initialism.

Because acronyms like NASA are pronounced as words (“na-suh,” in this case), there’s no need to precede them with the definite article: You wouldn’t write “Budget cutbacks hit the NASA hard.” (Though the is essential if NASA is used as an adjective, as in “Budget cutbacks hit the NASA project hard.”)
But initialisms require THE: “The FBI announced his capture several hours later" That’s because the term is pronounced letter by letter: “eff-bee-eye.”

So what about RBS, HSBC, BT, BP. They're all pronounced letter by letter and none of those are ever preceded by 'the'. So are they acronyms or initialisms?

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/initialisms-and-acronyms/

 

[TommyV]

I Don't Know But It Infuriates Me When People Type With Every Word Initialised Thinking They Are Grammatically Correct.

 

[Mynight]

Intriguing point.

However try mashing any of those other acronyms letters into a word. It doesn't work therefore they are technically initialisms but you'll never hear them preceded by "the".

This is one of the age old rules of English but ask 100 people and I guarantee the amount of people who know the term initialism would be in the single figures. Its a so called dead rule as the English language keeps devolving something that may have been important 20 years ago for correct grammar is overlooked these days due to so called evolution of English. I prefer to think of it as *******isation of English

 

[spoffle]

Intriguing point.

However try mashing any of those other acronyms letters into a word. It doesn't work therefore they are technically initialisms but you'll never hear them preceded by "the".

This is one of the age old rules of English but ask 100 people and I guarantee the amount of people who know the term initialism would be in the single figures. Its a so called dead rule as the English language keeps devolving something that may have been important 20 years ago for correct grammar is overlooked these days due to so called evolution of English. I prefer to think of it as *******isation of English

Yeah, this. I am concerned that "of" will be officially considered a legitimate synonym for "have" in the very near future, simply because it seems like more people think it's "of" rather than "have", and it's getting worse, to the point where seeing people using "of" instead of "have" at all times to say things like "Of you been to the shop?".

 

[bitslice]

Actually, I was wondering what this was

FTFE.

 

[Mynight]

Yeah, this. I am concerned that "of" will be officially considered a legitimate synonym for "have" in the very near future, simply because it seems like more people think it's "of" rather than "have", and it's getting worse, to the point where seeing people using "of" instead of "have" at all times to say things like "Of you been to the shop?".

I'm terribly guilty of that sin . When spoken I use "have" as it should be but I all too often write should/would have

I am far from perfect but I die a little inside when I see words like twerk/selfie added to the official English dictionary

 

[Gogl]

Actually, I was wondering what this was

FTFE.

Sorry, was being rather glib, it was Fixed That For Ewe.

I was just highlighting that somehow Magnolly missed that the guy wasn't making a serious comment, if not I have no idea what he was getting at, though that seems to be an ever increasing occurrence for me in all things.

 

[spoffle]

I'm terribly guilty of that sin . When spoken I use "have" as it should be but I all too often write should/would have

I am far from perfect but I die a little inside when I see words like twerk/selfie added to the official English dictionary

Hypocrite! should have and would have are infinitely worse than twerk or selfie!

Especially because there are legitimate ways to write the way people say should have, ie "should've".

 

[Mynight]

Haha I know, hence why I edit my posts so much . If it wasn't for the edit button those mistakes would remain for all to realise how "special" I can be

I must admit I had started to doubt myself whether I had it wrong by writing "have" rather than "of" due to reading the "of" version so much.

Damn the Internet

 

[Nix]

I honestly don't care.

 

[Cosimo]

I honestly don't care.

After having a read of that link neither do I.

 

[Efour]

NASA ? Nice and Safe Attitude

 

[Haggisman]

Intriguing point.

However try mashing any of those other acronyms letters into a word. It doesn't work therefore they are technically initialisms but you'll never hear them preceded by "the".

This is one of the age old rules of English but ask 100 people and I guarantee the amount of people who know the term initialism would be in the single figures. Its a so called dead rule as the English language keeps devolving something that may have been important 20 years ago for correct grammar is overlooked these days due to so called evolution of English. I prefer to think of it as *******isation of English

For someone that's moaning about "*******isation of English", you've sure made a lot of grammatical errors in there

Also, I'm pretty sure "devolving" language doesn't mean what you think it means

 

[Mynight]

As I said I'm far from perfect not far from terrible either

I was under the impression "devolving language" means where previously incorrect structure becomes the norm. Ie the abundance of the word "like" in sentences that have no need of it.

I wish I was better at English but it was my worst subject

 

[Haggisman]

As I said I'm far from perfect not far from terrible either

I was under the impression "devolving language" means where previously incorrect structure becomes the norm. Ie the abundance of the word "like" in sentences that have no need of it.

I wish I was better at English but it was my worst subject

Nope, that would still be evolving.

Devolving would be returning a state which it has previously evolved away from, e.g. if we all started talking in ye olde Englishe, verily, forsooth, etc.

 

[Tuppy_Glossop]

I have heard RBS called the RBS and HSBC called the HSBC. The difference seems pretty clear to me. FBI is a bureau, RBS is a bank, and HSBC is a bank and a corporation hence all can use the definite article. British Telecom and British Petroleum, however, are not entities as they stand. Presumably there is an implied Company or Corporation but, as long as it isn't explicitly represented in the initialism, the use of an article is not warranted.

 

[ttaskmaster]

Generally, if the full name or term is spoken with 'a' or 'the' at the front, then you'd call it 'the [acronym]'.
The PCI-e, the CPU, the GPU, the RAM, the HOG, the DVLA, the RAF, the BBC, etc.
But sometimes those (The RAF, the HOG, the RAM) can be pronounced as words too.

The reverse is true if you don't usually speak it thus, most commonly with names where the abbreviation/initialism is just as much the name as the full words are - IBM, British Telecom, Glaxo Smith Kline, British Rail, BMW, NBC, Independent TeleVision (does LWT still exist? ha ha!).

But then you have people taking initialisms and making words that can be pronounced - FJ (Fudge), TDM (Tedium) and even IHVH (Jehova).

English is one big mess of changing language, where it usually just depends on the individual word and even the context.
'TBH', I don't think it really matters that much, so long as people understand 'WTF' you're on about, 'LOL'!!

 

[The Dread Pirate]

The NASA is grammatically correct otherwise if you weren't using the acronym it would be:

"Budget cutbacks hit National Aeronautics and Space Administration hard"

instead of:

"Budget Cutbacks hit the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Hard"