An acronym is a word formed from the first letter or letters of a compound term and pronounced as a word, e.g., SCUBA represents Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. Whereas an initialization is pronounced using the letters that it forms, e.g., AKA represents Also Known As.
Both acronyms and initializations are formed from the first letter or letters of the words they represent; they are a shorten version of multi-word names and phrases. Their difference lies in how they are pronounced. An acronym forms a word and is pronounced as a word, whereas an initialization is pronounced using the letters that forms it.
Initialization and Acronym List
Both acronyms and initialization are used in everyday conversation and can be commonly found in print. We’ve included the most common ones in the list below and differentiate between the two using either an “A” or “I” for acronym or initialization, respectively.
24/7 | 24 hours a day, 7 days a week | I |
3D | Three-dimensional | I |
3M | Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing | I |
4WD | 4WD – Four-Wheel Drive | I |
A&W | Allen & Wright (Root Beer) | I |
AA | Alcoholics Anonymous | I |
AAA | American Automobile Association | I |
AARP | American Association of Retired Persons | I |
ABC | Already been chewed | I |
ABC | American Broadcasting System | I |
ABS | Anti-Lock Braking System | I |
AC | Air conditioning | I |
ACL | Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ligament often torn in knee injuries) |
I |
AD | Anno Domini (In the Year of Our Lord) | I |
ADA | Americans with Disabilities Act | I |
ADA | American Dental Association | I |
ADD | Attention Deficit Disorder | I |
ADHD | Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder | I |
ADP | Automatic Data Processing | I |
AFC | American Football Conference | I |
AI | Artificial Intelligence | I |
AIDS | Acquired immune deficiency syndrome | A |
AIG | American International Group | I |
AKA | Also known as | I |
AM | Ante Meridiem (before noon) | I |
AM | Amplitude modification (radio) | I |
AMEX | American Express (credit card) | I |
AMT | Alternative Minimum Tax | I |
AOL | America Online | I |
AP | Advanced Placement | I |
AP | Associated Press | I |
APR | Annual Percentage Rate | I |
ARM | Adjustable Rate Mortgage | A |
ASAP | As soon as possible | I |
AT&T | American Telephone and Telegraph | I |
ATM | Automated teller machine | I |
ATV | All Terrain Vehicle | I |
AVG | Average | I |
AWD | All-Wheel Drive | I |
AWOL | Absent (or away) without leave | A |
AX | Armani Exchange | I |
B&B | Bed & Breakfast | I |
B&N | Barnes & Noble | I |
BBC | British Broadcasting Corporation | I |
BC | Before Christ | I |
BC | Because | I |
BCC | Blind Carbon Copy | I |
BCE | Before the Common/Current/Christian Era | I |
BLOG | Short for “Web Log” | A |
BLT | Bacon, lettuce and tomato | I |
BM | Bowel movement | I |
BMI | Body Mass Index | I |
BMOC | Big man on campus | I |
BMW | Bayerische Motoren Werke (Bavarian Motor Works) | I |
BO | Body ordor | I |
BTO | Big-time operator | I |
BTW | By the way | I |
BWI | Baltimore Washington International | I |
BYOB | Bring your own beverage | I |
CBS | Columbia Broadcasting System | I |
CC | Credit card | I |
CC | Carbon Copy | I |
CD | Certificate of deposit | I |
CD | Compact Disc | I |
CE | Continuing Education | I |
CEO | Chief Executive Officer | I |
CFE | Certified Fraud Examiner | I |
CFO | Chief Financial Officer | I |
CFP | Certified Financial Planner | I |
CIA | Central Intelligence Agency | I |
CNN | Cable News Network | I |
CO | Commanding officer | I |
COB | Close Of Business | I |
COD | Cash on delivery | I |
COGS | Cost of Goods Sold | I |
COO | Chief Operating Officer | I |
CPA | Certified Public Account | I |
CPE | Continuing Professional Education | I |
CPR | Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation | I |
CPU | Central Processing Unit | I |
CSI | Crime Scene Investigation | I |
CST | Central standard time | I |
CSV | Comma separated value | I |
CTO | Chief Technology Officer | I |
CYA | Cover your ^#? | I |
DA | District Attorney | I |
DBA | Doing Business As | I |
DEA | Drug Enforcement Agency | I |
DFW | Dallas/Fort Worth | I |
DIA | Denver International Airport | I |
DINK | Dual income no kids | A |
DJ | Disk jockey | I |
DNA | Deoxyribonucleic Acid | I |
DOA | Dead on arrival | I |
DOD | Department of Defense | I |
DOE | Department Of Energy | I |
DOL | Department of Labor | I |
DOS | Disk Operating System | A |
DOT | Department of Transportation | I |
DQ | Disqualified | I |
DSL | Digital Subscriber Line | I |
DST | Daylight saving time | I |
DUI | Driving Under the Influence | I |
DVD | Digital video disk | I |
DVR | Digital Video Recorder | I |
DWI | Driving While Intoxicated | I |
EDP | Electronic Data Processing | I |
EFT | Electronic Funds Transfer | I |
EKG | Electrocardiogram | I |
EMT | Emergency Medical Technician | I |
EOD | End of day | I |
EP | Extended Play (Record) | I |
EPA | Environmental Protection Agency | I |
EPCOT | Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow | A |
EPS | EPS – Earnings Per Share | I |
ER | Emergency Room | I |
ERA | Equal rights amendment | I |
ERISA | Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 | A |
ESL | English as a second language | I |
ESPN | Entertainment and Sports Programming Network | I |
EST | Eastern standard time | I |
ET | Extra terrestrial | I |
ETF | Exchange Traded Funds | I |
ETR | Early to rise | I |
FANNIE MAE | Federal National Mortgage Association (a privately owned corporation) |
I |
FAQ | Frequently asked questions | I |
FASB | Financial Accounting Standards Board | A |
FBI | Federal Bureau of Investigation | I |
FCC | Federal Communications Commission | I |
FDA | Food and Drug Administration | I |
FDIC | Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation | I |
FDR | Franklin Delano Roosevelt | I |
FedEx | Federal Express | A |
FEMA | Federal Emergency Management Agency | A |
FIAT | Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino | A |
FIFO | First in, first out | A |
FM | Frequency modification (radio) | I |
FMV | Fair Market Value | I |
FNC | Fox News Channel | I |
FREDDIE MAC | Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation | A |
FT | Full Time | I |
FTC | Federal Trade Commission | I |
FTP | File Transfer Protocol | I |
FUBAR | “Fudged” Up Beyond All Recognition (the PC version) | A |
FYI | For your information | I |
GC | Gift certificate | I |
GC | General contractor | I |
GDP | Gross Domestic Product | I |
GE | General Electric | I |
GED | General Education Diploma | I |
GEICO | Government Employees Insurance Company | I |
GI | Government issue | I |
GIF | Graphic Interchange Format | A |
GIGO | Garbage in, garbage out | A |
GINNIE MAE | Government National Mortgage Association | A |
GL | General Ledger | I |
GM | General Manager | I |
GM | General Motors or General Mills | I |
GMAT | Graduate Management Admission Test | A |
GMO | Genetically modified | I |
GNC | General Nutrition Centers | I |
GNP | Gross national product | I |
GOP | Grand Old Party | I |
GPA | Grade point average | I |
GPS | Global Positioning System | I |
GRE | Graduate Record Examination | I |
HAS | Health Savings Account | I |
HAZ-MAT | Hazardous material | A |
HBO | Home Box Office | I |
HDTV | High Definition Television | I |
HEMI | Hemispherical Combustion Chamber | A |
Hi-Fi | High Fidelity | A |
HIPAA | Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act | A |
HIV | Human immunodeficiency virus | I |
HMO | Health Maintenance Organization | I |
HOA | Home Owners’ Association | I |
HP | Hewlett Packard | I |
HQ | Headquarters | I |
HR | Human resources | I |
HS | High School | I |
HTML | Hyper Text Mark-up Language | I |
HTTP | Hyper Text Transfer Protocol | I |
HUD | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development | A |
HVAC | Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning | I |
IBM | International Business Machines Corporation | I |
ICU | Intensive Care Unit | I |
ID | Identification | I |
IEP | Individualized Educational Plan | I |
IM | Instant message | I |
IMF | International Monetary Fund | I |
IMHO | In my humble opinion | I |
IMO | In my opinion | I |
ING | Internationale Nederlanden Group (a financial company) | I |
IOU | I owe you | I |
IP | Internet Protocol | I |
IPO | Initial Public Offering | I |
IQ | Intelligence quotient | I |
IRA | Individual Retirement Account | I |
IRA | International Reading Association | I |
IRA | Irish Republican Army | I |
IRS | Internal Revenue Service | I |
ISBN | International Standard Book Number | I |
ISP | Internet Service Provider | I |
IT | Information Technology | I |
IV | Intravenous | I |
JAG | Judge Advocate General | A |
JC Penny’s | James Cash Penney | I |
JFK | John Fitzgerald Kennedy | I |
JPEG | Joint Photographic Experts Group (24-bit image storage format) |
A |
JV | Junior varsity | I |
KFC | Kentucky Fried Chicken | I |
KISS | Keep it simple stupid | A |
KKK | Klu Klux Klan | I |
KO | Knockout | I |
KPI | Key Performance Indicator | I |
KPMG | Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (accounting firm) | I |
LAN | Local Area Network | A |
LASER | Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation | A |
LAX | Los Angeles International Airport | A |
LCD | Liquid crystal display | I |
LD | Learning Disabled | I |
LDS | Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints | I |
LED | Light emitting diode | I |
LIFO | Last in, first out | A |
LLC | Limited Liability Company | I |
LLP | Limited Liability Partnership | I |
LOL | Laugh out loud | I |
LP | Long Play (Record) | I |
LPGA | Ladies Professional Golf Association | I |
LSAT | Law School Admission Test | A |
LTD | Limited | I |
MADD | Mothers Against Drunk Driving | A |
MC | Master of Ceremony | I |
MCA | The Music Corporation of America | I |
MCI | Microwave Communications Incorporated | I |
MGM | Metro-Goldwyn Mayer | I |
MH | Mentally handicap | I |
MIA | Missing in action | I |
MLB | Major League Baseball | I |
MLK | Martin Luther King, Jr. | I |
MLS | Multiple Listing Service | I |
MMB | Monday morning blues | I |
MO | Modus operandi | I |
Modem | MODulator-DEModulator | A |
MP3 | Moving Picture Experts Group Layer-3 Audio | I |
MPG | MPG – Miles Per Gallon | I |
MRE | Meals ready to eat | I |
MRI | Magnetic resonance imaging | I |
MS | Manuscript | I |
MS | Multiple Sclerosis | I |
MSG | Monosodium Glutamate | I |
MSN | Microsoft Network | I |
MSRP | Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price | I |
MST | Mountain standard time | I |
MTD | Month to date | I |
MTV | Music Television | I |
MYOB | Mind your own business | I |
NA | Not applicable | I |
NA | North America | I |
NAACP | National Association for the Advancement of Colored People |
I |
NAFTA | North American Free Trade Agreement | A |
NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | A |
NASCAR | National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing | I |
NASDAQ | National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation (system) |
A |
NATO | North Atlantic Treaty Organization | A |
NBA | National Basketball Association | I |
NBA | National Boxing Association | I |
NBA | National Business Association | I |
NBC | National Broadcasting System | I |
NCAA | National Collegiate Athletic Association | I |
NCIS | Naval Criminal Investigation Service | I |
NDA | Non-Disclosure Agreement | I |
NEA | National Education Association | I |
NFC | National Football Conference | I |
NFL | National Football League | I |
NIB | New in the box | I |
NIFL | National Institute for Literacy | I |
NIMBY | Not in my backyard | A |
NIS | Naval Investigative Service | I |
NIV | New International Version (of the Bible) | I |
NPV | Net Present Value | I |
NRA | National Rifle Association | I |
NRP | National Reading Panel | I |
NSA | National Safety Associates | I |
NSA | National Security Agency | I |
NSC | National Security Council | I |
NYSE | New York Stock Exchange | I |
OBO | Or Best Offer | I |
OCD | Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder | I |
OCD | Overdose | I |
OJ | Orange juice | I |
OPEC | Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries | A |
OPM | Other People’s Money | I |
OSHA | Occupational Safety and Health Administration | A |
OT | Occupational Therapy | I |
OTC | Over the Counter | I |
P&G | Proctor and Gamble | I |
PA | Public Address (System) | I |
PB | Personal Best | I |
PBJ | Peanut butter & jelly | I |
PBS | Public Broadcasting System | I |
PC | Personal computer | I |
PC | Politically correct | I |
PCAOB | Public Company Accounting Oversight Board | I |
PDA | Public displays of affection | I |
PDA | Personal Digital Assistant (like a Palm® Pilot) | I |
Portable Document Format (created by Adobe Acrobat) | I | |
PDQ | Pretty darn quick | I |
PE | Price to Earnings (Ratio) | I |
PGA | Professional Golfers’ Association | I |
PI | Private investigator | I |
PIN | Personal identification number | A |
PL | Profit and Loss | I |
PM | Post meridiem (after noon) | I |
PMI | Private Mortgage Insurance | I |
PMS | Premenstrual syndrome | I |
PO | Purchase Order | I |
POA | Power of attorney | I |
POP | Point of Purchase | I |
POSH | Port out, starboard home | A |
POTUS | President of the United States | I |
POV | Point of view | I |
POW | Prisoner of war | I |
PPND | Postponed | I |
PPS | Post post-script | I |
PR | Public relations | I |
PR | Personal Record | I |
PS | Post script | I |
PS | Public school | I |
PS2 | Play Station 2 | I |
PS3 | Play Station 3 | I |
PSI | Pounds per square inch | I |
PST | Pacific standard time | I |
PT | Part Time | I |
PT | Physical Training | I |
PTA | Parent-teacher association | I |
PTO | Paid time off | I |
PV | Present Value | I |
PVC | Polyvinyl Chloride (plastic) | I |
Q&A | Questions & answers | I |
QB | Quarterback | I |
QC | Quality Control | I |
R&R | Rest & relaxation | I |
RADAR | Radio detecting and range | A |
RAM | Random Access Memory | A |
RBG | Red, blue, green | I |
RBI | Runs Batted In (baseball) | I |
RCA | Radio Corporation of America | I |
REI | Recreational Equipment, Inc | I |
REIT | Real Estate Investment Trust | A |
REM | Rapid Eye Movement (also a popular Rock Band in the 90s) |
A |
REO | Real Estate Owned | I |
RICO | Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act | A |
RIP | Rest in peace | I |
RN | Registered Nurse | I |
ROE | Return on Equity | I |
ROI | Return on Investment | I |
ROM | Read-only memory | A |
ROTC | Reserve Officers Training Corps | I |
ROYGBIV | Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo & violet | A |
RPG | Role playing game | I |
RSS | Really Simple Syndication OR RDF Site Summary | I |
RSVP | Respondez s’il vous plait (French for “please resond”) | I |
RV | Recreational vehicle | I |
S&P | S&P – Standard & Poor’s | I |
SASE | Self-addressed stamped envelope | I |
SAT | Scholastic Aptitude (or assessment) Test | I |
SBA | Small Business Administration | I |
SCUBA | Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus | A |
SEC | Securities Exchange Commission | I |
SEO | Search Engine Optimization | I |
SEP | Simplified Employee Pension | A |
SIDS | Sudden Infant Death Syndrome | A |
SMTP | Simple Mail Transfer Protocol | I |
SNAFU | Situation normal: all fouled up | A |
SNL | Saturday Night Live | I |
SOB | Son of a female dog | I |
SOL | Sorry, out of luck | I |
SONAR | Sound navigation ranging | A |
SOP | Standard operating procedure | I |
SOS | Save our ship | I |
SOS | Save our souls | I |
SPF | Sun protection factor | I |
SRO | Standing room only | I |
SSA | Social Security Administration | I |
SSL | Secure Sockets Layer | I |
SSN | Social Security Number | I |
STD | Sexually Transmitted Disease | I |
STET | Let it stand (editor’s mark) | A |
SUV | Sports Utility Vehicle | I |
SWAK | Seal with a kiss | A |
SWAT | Special Weapons and Tactics | A |
TB | Tuberculosis | I |
TBA | To be announced | I |
TBD | To be determined | I |
TCBY | The Country’s Best Yogurt (originally This Can’t Be Yogurt) |
I |
TD | Touchdown | I |
TDD | Telecommunications device for the deaf | I |
TEAM | Together everyone achieves more | I |
TEFLON | Tetrafloroethylene resin | A |
TEOTWAWKI | The end of the world as we know it | I |
TGIF | Thank God it’s Friday | I |
TIA | Thanks in advance | I |
TIN | Tax Identification Number | I |
TIP | To insure promptness | I |
TLC | Tender loving care | I |
TLC | The Learning Channel | I |
TM | Trademark | I |
TNN | The National Network | I |
TNT | Trinitrotoluene | I |
TTY | Teletypewriter (how the hearing impaired use telephones) |
I |
TV | Television | I |
UFC | Ultimate Fighting Championship | I |
UFO | Unidentified flying object | I |
UMB | United Missouri Bank | I |
UN | United Nations | I |
UNICEF | United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund |
A |
UPC | Universal product code | I |
UPS | United Parcel Service | I |
UPS | Uninterrupted Power Source | I |
URL | Uniform Resource Locator (web address) | I |
USA | United States of America | I |
USAF | United States Air Force | I |
USB | Universal Serial Bus | I |
USDA | United States Department of Agriculture | I |
USF | United States Air Force | I |
USGS | United States Geological Survey | I |
USMC | United States Marine Corps | I |
USPS | United States Postal Service | I |
VBS | Vacation Bible School | I |
VCR | Video cassette recorder | I |
VH1 | Video Hits #1 | I |
VHS | Video Home System | I |
VIP | Very important person | I |
VMA | Video Music Awards | I |
VP | Vice president | I |
VW | Volkswagen | I |
WASP | White Anglo-Saxon Protestant | A |
WHO | World Health Organization | I |
WiFi | Wireless Fidelity | A |
WOM | Word of mouth | I |
WSJ | Wall Street Journal | I |
WTB | Want to buy | I |
WWF | World Wrestling Federation | I |
WWF | World Wildlife Fund | I |
WWI | World War One | I |
WWII | World War Two | I |
WWW | World Wide Web | I |
WYSIWYG | What you see is what you get | I |
XC | Cross Country | I |
XML | eXtensible Markup Language | I |
YMCA | Young Men’s Christian Association | I |
YTD | Year to date | I |
ZIP | Zone Improvement Plan | A |
If we missed one, please use our comment form to let us know.
Source Fry, E.B., Ph.D. & Kress, J.E., Ed.D. (2006). The Reading Teacher’s Book of Lists 5th Edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
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