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Abbreviations

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What Are Abbreviations?
Why Do We Use Abbreviations?
How Are Abbreviations Formed?
Abbreviation Lists
See Also

What Are Abbreviations?
Why Do We Use Abbreviations?
How Are Abbreviations Formed?
Abbreviation Lists

What Are Abbreviations?

Definition

Abbreviations are shortened forms of words or phrases.

Abbreviations:

are usually two to four letters long
sometimes contain capital letters*
sometimes contain numbers or symbols
sometimes end with a period*

*Capitalization and punctuation in abbreviations vary depending on the writing style. If you are unsure about a word’s abbreviated form, check with your teacher.

Why Do We Use Abbreviations?

Abbreviations are usually used when we want to:

write a lot of text in a small space
write text quickly (for example, when taking notes)
exchange text messages with someone
shorten text to simplify reading

Abbreviations are mostly used in informal situations. However, certain abbreviations can be used in formal writing as well.

For example:

Informal situation	Justification
“LOL, I keep thinking about that joke you told me the other day.”	The abbreviation “LOL’’, meaning “laughing out loud,” is used in casual situations.
Formal situation	Justification
Dear Mr. Jones, I am writing to you today to inform you that …	The abbreviation “Mr.,” meaning, “Mister,” is used in official situations such as cover letters.

How Are Abbreviations Formed?

There are different ways to form abbreviations.

Some are formed with the first and last letter of a word.

For example:

Words	Abbreviations
Doctor	Dr.
Junior	Jr.
Apartment	Apt.

Some are formed with the first letter of the word followed by other letters from that word or phrase.

For example:

Words	Abbreviations
Station	Stn.
Master of Education	M.Ed.
Avenue	Ave.

Some are formed as acronyms. They contain the initial letter of each word.

Some are pronounced as words.

For example:

Words	Abbreviations
National Aeronautics and Space Administration	NASA
As soon as possible	ASAP
Fear of missing out	FOMO

Some are pronounced letter by letter.

For example:

Words	Abbreviations
Federal Bureau of Investigation	FBI
Royal Canadian Mounted Police	RCMP
Central Intelligence Agency	CIA

Abbreviation Lists

Below are lists of common abbreviations.

Examples

Abbreviations for People Titles

People titles	Abbreviations
any adult male	Mr.
any adult female	Ms.
unmarried female	Miss
married female	Mrs.
Senior	Sr.
Junior	Jr.
Doctor	Dr.
Honourable	Hon.
Professor	Prof.
Reverend	Rev.
Detective	Det.
Saint	St.*

These abbreviations must be followed by the person’s name.

*When used before naming people considered holy, use the full form Saint.

Abbreviations for Academic Degrees

Academic degrees	Abbreviations
Bachelor of Science	B.S.
Bachelor of Arts	B.A.
Master of Education	M.Ed.
Master of Business Administration	M.B.A.
Doctor of Philosophy	Ph.D.

Abbreviations for Geographic Locations

Continents	Abbreviations
North America	NA
Europe	EU
Asia	AS
Africa	AF
Oceania	OC
South and Central America	SA

Countries	Abbreviations	Currencies	Abbreviations
Canada	CA	Canadian $	CAD
United States	US	American $	USD
United Kingdom	UK	Pound sterling £	GBP
France	FR	Euros €	EUR
Mexico	MX	Pesos $	MXN
Japan	JP	Yen ¥	JPY

Cardinal directions	Abbreviations
North	N
South	S
East	E
West	W

Provinces & States	Abbreviations
Quebec	QC
Ontario	ON
British Columbia	BC
New-York	NY
Florida	FL
California	CA

Addresses	Abbreviations
Apartment	Apt.
Street	St.
Road	Rd.
Square	Sq.
Avenue	Ave.
Boulevard	Blvd.
Place	Pl.
Station	Stn.

Abbreviations for Time

Months of the year	Abbreviations
January	Jan.
February	Feb.
March	Mar.
April	Apr.
May	—
June	Jun.
July	Jul.
August	Aug.
September	Sep.
October	Oct.
November	Nov.
December	Dec.

Days of the week	Abbreviations
Monday	Mon.
Tuesday	Tue.
Wednesday	Wed.
Thursday	Thu.
Friday	Fri.
Saturday	Sat.
Sunday	Sun.

Times of day	Abbreviations
second	sec.
minute	min.
hour	hr.
Eastern Standard Time (US & Canada)	EST
before noon (ante meridiem)	a.m.
afternoon (post meridiem)	p.m.

Abbreviations for Measurements

Metric measurements	Abbreviations	Imperial measurements	Abbreviations
millimetre	mm	inch	in or "
centimetre	cm	foot	ft or '
metre	m	yard	yd
kilometre	km	mile	mi
Celsius	°C	Fahrenheit	°F

Cooking measurements	Abbreviations
teaspoon	tsp.
tablespoon	tbsp.
millilitre	ml
ounce (onza)	oz.
gram	g
pounds (libra pondo)	lbs
kilogram	kg

Internet and Texting Abbreviations

Text Messages	Abbreviations
I love you	ily
direct message	dm
be right back	brb
just kidding	jk
do it yourself	DIY
because	bc
I don’t know	idk
in my opinion	imo
laughing out loud	LOL
as soon as possible	ASAP
no problem	np
nevermind	nvm
on my way	omw
oh my God	omg
thanks*	thx

These abbreviations are most often used in informal writing.

*“thx’’ is spelled with an “x.” The ‘‘x’’ represents the sound [ks].

Foreign Language Abbreviations

Expressions coming from other languages	Abbreviations	Meaning
Réservez s'il vous plaît — French	RSVP	Please respond (to a written invitation)
Versus — Latin	vs.	Against
Id est — Latin	i.e.	That is (used before providing specific information about something mentioned)
Exempli gratia — Latin	e.g.	For example
Nota bene — Latin	N.B.	Note well (used before important information)
Requiescat in pace — Latin	R.I.P.	Rest in peace
Et cetera — Latin	etc.	And other similar things (used at the end of listed elements to avoid providing a complete list)

Note-taking Abbreviations

Words	Abbreviations
approximately	approx.
before	b/4
department	dept.
definition	def.
different	diff.
education	ed.
each	ea.
numero	No.
page	p.

These abbreviations should only be used in informal writing.

For more note-taking abbreviations, visit the concept sheet Taking Notes.

Abbreviations for Science and Technology Terms

Science and technology terms	Abbreviations
carbon dioxide	CO₂
dihydrogen monoxide (water)	H₂O
deoxyribonucleic acid	DNA
genetically modified organism	GMO
ultraviolet radiation	UV
sun protection factor	SPF
personal computer	PC
portable document format	PDF
virtual private network	VPN
artificial intelligence	AI
downloadable content	DLC
high-definition multimedia interface	HDMI
universal serial bus	USB