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Abbreviations and acronyms A
Abbreviations pronounced as individual letters e.g. i.e. AD BC EU ID NB IQ PTO USB FAQ ASAP VIP RSVP UFO
B
for example, from exempli gratia (Latin) that is, from id est (Latin) the year of our Lord, from Anno Domini (Latin), used in the Christian calendar to count years since the birth of Christ; many people prefer CE as an alternative [Common Era] before Christ, used to count the years before the birth of Christ; many people prefer BCE [before the Common Era]
European Union identity document note well, from nota bene (Latin), used as a warning or to point out something important intelligence quotient: a way of measuring people’s intelligence using a system of numbers please turn over Universal Serial Bus: a type of connection between a computer and an electronic device frequently asked questions as soon as possible very important person please reply (used on invitations, from French, répondez s’il vous plaît) /juːefˈəʊ/ unidentified flying object; often used to talk about an alien spaceship
Shortened and blended words bedsit sitcom sci-fi info biodata biopic wi-fi
C
a flat with only one room which is a bedroom and a sitting room short for situational comedy: a kind of humorous TV programme /ˈsaɪfaɪ/ science fiction information /ˈbaɪəʊ deɪtə/ biographical data: details about someone’s life, job and achievements /ˈbaɪəʊpɪk/ biographical picture: a film about the life of a real person /ˈwaɪfaɪ/ wireless fidelity: wireless connection for computers and electronic communications
Acronyms Some abbreviations are acronyms, i.e. they are formed from the first letters (or occasionally syllables) of a word or series of words and are pronounced as a word. AIDS /eɪdz/ acquired immune deficiency syndrome NATO /ˈneɪtəʊ/ North Atlantic Treaty Organisation PIN personal identification number (used on credit cards, bank cards, etc.) VAT value-added tax (a kind of tax on goods), pronounced /væt/ or /ˌviːeɪˈtiː/
D
Abbreviations used in academic writing and bibliographies fig. figure (a picture or drawing, often with a number, in a book or other document). Example: See fig. 2. ed. (plural eds.) editor/editors (often used in bibliographical references) p. (plural pp.) page/pages. Examples: see p. 26, see pp. 58–61 (from page 58 to page 61). cf. compare. Example: Carter (1997) investigated core vocabulary (cf. Lee 1987). et al. and others (used in bibliographical references to refer to a book or article with several authors, usually three or more). Example: O’Keeffe et al. (2010) discuss this problem.
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English Vocabulary in Use Advanced
