Abbreviations 5

                                                                         Acronyms

Acronyms are words formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as they are spelled, not as separate letters. Examples include:

Aids
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome

NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization

UNESCO
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization

SIM (card)
Subscriber identification module

Most acronyms can be written as capital letters or with only an initial capital letter. Some acronyms are so established that they are now ‘normal’ words, generally used without conscious awareness of their original full form. These words should be written in lower-case letters. Examples include:

laser

light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation

radar

radio detection and ranging

quango

quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization

scuba

self-contained underwater breathing apparatus