Abbreviations Educational Resources

Abbreviations are a shorter way to write words. Some abbreviations are so common that we’ve forgotten they are abbreviations at all! With the advent of texting and other technology, new abbreviations are popping up all the time. With our resources and classroom-ready activities, familiarize your student with the types of abbreviations commonly found in everyday reading and writing.

An abbreviation is a shortcut to a longer word. Some abbreviations are considered informal, so if you’re writing a formal letter, be mindful that you don’t come across as too casual or your meaning might be misunderstood. For the younger generation, they may have their own abbreviations and slang, and it’s best to avoid using these in term papers or school projects.

The Four Main Kinds of Abbreviations

Shortenings: Shortening a word simply means writing the first few words, omitting the final letters and adding a period at the end. A common example is “cont.” for “continued.” Sometimes, words have been shortened to the point where we are more familiar with the abbreviated version.
Examples: limo (limousine), hippo (hippopotamus), taxi (taxicab)

Contractions: Contractions are made when letters from the middle of the word have been omitted, followed by a period.
Examples: Dr. (doctor), St. (street), Mr. (mister).
Another kind of contraction is the type with an apostrophe marking the omission of letters.
Examples: can't (cannot), didn't (did not)

Initialisms: Forms that are made up of the initial letters of words and are pronounced as separate letters.
Examples: CIA, NYC, U.S., NFL

Acronyms: Initialisms that have become words in their own right, or similar words formed from parts of several words. They are pronounced as words rather than as a series of letters.
Examples: AIDS, laser, scuba, UNICEF

Common Abbreviations
Times and dates: a.m. (ante meridiem) = before noon, p.m. (post meridiem) = after noon; Jan., Feb., Mon., Tues., Wed.
Places: U.S. (United States) U.K. (United Kingdom) E.U. (European Union) U.A.E. (United Arab Emirates)
Units of measurement: in. (inches), ft. (feet), lbs. (pounds)
Contemporary slang terms: LOL (laugh out loud), TBH (to be honest)