Asked by: Jason Genzmer

In fiction, you can do anything you like, so long as you do it consistently. In general, though, ASAP is written without any periods, as is STD. ASAP is trite, don’t use it. The only way to abbreviate “also known as” is “a.k.a.” Anything that’s NOT capitalized should have periods.

What is the correct way to write an acronym?

Acronyms are usually formed using the first letter (or letters) of each word in a phrase. When they are read, some are pronounced as if they are words (such as OPEC); others are read as letters (such as the UK). Pluralize acronyms by adding “s” without an apostrophe.

How do you write an acronym in a text?

Always write out the first in-text reference to an acronym, followed by the acronym itself written in capital letters and enclosed by parentheses. Subsequent references to the acronym can be made just by the capital letters alone.

How do you write a list of acronyms?

When you use acronyms—formed using the first letter of each word in a phrase—you should write the first occurrence of phrase in full, and place the abbreviation in parentheses immediately after it. Then you can use the acronym throughout the rest of the text.

How do you write acronyms in AP style?

Use all caps, but no periods, in longer abbreviations and acronyms when the individual letters are pronounced: ABC, CIA, FBI. Use only an initial cap and then lowercase for acronyms of more than six letters, unless listed otherwise in this Stylebook or Webster’s New World College Dictionary.

What is the rule for acronyms?

Typically, acronyms and initialisms are written in all capital letters to distinguish them from ordinary words. (When fully spelled out, the words in acronyms and initialisms do not need to be capitalized unless they entail a proper noun.) An acronym is pronounced as a single word, rather than as a series of letters.

How do you introduce an acronym in a paper?

Introducing Acronyms

If using an acronym, you must introduce it with full terminology in the first instance so your reader knows what it means. You can do this by giving the full term first and the shortened version in parentheses: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has existed since 1949.

What is an example of an acronym?

An acronym is a word that is that is made by taking the first letter of the full name or sentence. For example, there is a famous Swedish furniture company is called IKEA. It is the short form of for Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd. The company name is called IKEA; it is read like any other word.

Do you put periods in acronyms?

Acronyms don’t have periods in them, as they’re pronounced like the word they create.

Do you put acronyms in quotes?

I want to use a quote with an acronym that readers may not know and that I won’t be using again in my paper. Can I still use the quote, or do I have to paraphrase it? Yes, you can still use this quote—or any quote with an acronym, abbreviation, or initialism.

Do you put acronyms in parentheses AP Style?

Don’t put acronyms in parentheses after the first reference (for example, “The Water Quality Control Division (WQCD) …”). The state Board of Health meets the third Wednesday of each month.

Do you put abbreviations in parentheses AP Style?

Avoid Awkward Constructions

The AP Stylebook states to not follow an organization’s full name with an abbreviation or acronym in parenthesis or set off by dashes. It goes on to say that if an abbreviation or acronym would not otherwise be clear upon its second reference, do not use it.

Can we use acronyms in headlines?

Abbreviations are acceptable in headings if they have been defined previously, though it may be preferable to rearrange the wording of headings to avoid starting with abbreviations.

Do you italicize acronyms?

The MLA Style Center

Yes. If you use an acronym in place of an italicized title, italicize the acronym, as shown in the example below: In his recent book, Ammon Shea recounts his experience reading through the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).

Can you use acronyms in technical writing?

Abbreviations (the shortened form of a word or phrase) and acronyms (words formed from the initial letters of a phrase) are commonly used in technical writing.

Can you use abbreviations in formal writing?

Despite what you may have heard in school, abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms are commonly used in formal writing (though you’ll find them more frequently in business and the sciences than in the humanities).

Are acronyms allowed in academic writing?

Abbreviations and acronyms are shortened forms of words or phrases. Generally, abbreviations are not acceptable in academic writing (with some exceptions, see below) and acronyms are (providing they are used as shown below).

Are acronyms informal?

Abbreviations are abbreviated (or shortened) forms of words and phrases. For example, “Mister” becomes “Mr.” In writing, abbreviations are generally considered informal.

Do you use the in front of an acronym?

An initialism is an abbreviation formed from initial letters. They require “the”, because they are pronounced letter by letter. An acronym, on the other hand, is a word made up from the first letters of the name of something such as an organization.

Do you put the in acronyms?

“Because acronyms like NASA are pronounced as words (‘na-suh,’ in this case), there’s no need to precede them with the definite article: You wouldn’t write ‘Budget cutbacks hit the NASA hard. ‘ (Though the is essential if NASA is used as an adjective, as in ‘Budget cutbacks hit the NASA project hard.

Should it be a or an before acronym?

The rule for Acronyms as Abbreviations

Knowing how acronyms are pronounced plays a role in whether you will use A or An in front of it. The rule is based on how the words are pronounced, not how they are spelled as you might think. If the acronym starts with the sound of a vowel, you will use An before the acronym.