Example of Abbreviations in English

When a word or a group of words are written in short form, either to save space or to speed up the reading of a text, we are using abbreviations. Abbreviations can use a letter, a syllable, or a part of the word that they abbreviate.

Abbreviations can be general or special.

Special abbreviations are used in texts, especially didactic, educational, research, dictionaries, encyclopedias, essays, and other texts in which some specific terms are cited for that text. In most cases they are explained in a glossary at the beginning or end of the text.

There are also special abbreviations that have specific uses for some professions or trades, such as, for example, abbreviations for medical, legal or engineering use.

General abbreviations are those that we commonly use and of which the vast majority of people know their meaning. We use them in letters, documents, and in publications of general circulation, such as newspapers and magazines.

Many people consider acronyms and acronyms to be part of abbreviations. However they are different. Acronyms are formed with the first letter of several words, which are written one after the other, without intermediate points. Acronyms are formed like acronyms, adding a vowel that is part of any of the syllables of the words that form it. We talk about acronyms and acronyms in the following article.

Rules for writing abbreviations

When we write abbreviations in English, a period must always be written at the end of the word abbreviation.

In the case of general abbreviations, an explanation of their meaning is not necessary. In special abbreviations, you must always specify the word or words that they replace.

Examples of general abbreviations in English:

Mr. - Mister, Sir

Mrs. - Mistress, Madam

A.M. - Ante Meridiem, in the morning

P.M. - Post Meridiem, at night

Jan. - January, January

Feb. - February, February

Sea. - March march

Jun. - June, June

Jul. - July, July

Aug. - August, August

Sep. - September, September

Oct. - October, October

Nov. - November, October

Dec. - December, December

Mon. - Monday, Monday

Tue. - Tuesday, Tuesday

Wed. - Wednesday, Wednesday

Thu. - Thursday, Thursday

Fri. - Friday, Friday

Sat. - Saturday, Saturday

Sun. - Sunday, Sunday

St. - Street, street

cm. - Centimeter, centimeter

in. - inch, inch

ft. - foot, foot (measure)

Examples of special abbreviations in English:

F. - feminine, feminine

m. - male, masculine, masculine

n. - neutral, neutral

abb. - abbreviation, abbreviation

adj. - adjective, adjective

adv. - adverb, adverb

ant. - Antonimus, antonym

syn. - synonimous, synonym

prev. - previous, previous

def. - definition, definition

abd. - abdominal (medicine)

bil. - bilateral (medicine)

bx. - biopsy, biopsy (medicine)

diff. - differential, differential (medicine)

Dx. - diagnosis, diagnosis (medicine)

ad. - adversely, against (right)

admin. - Administrative, administrative (law)

Cxl. - Constitutional, constitutional (law)

et. to the. - et alii, and others, and others (right)

pp. - pages, pages (right)

Khz. - Kilo Hertz (Engineering)

Nom. - Nominal (Engineering)

Rad. - Radial, Radian, Radical (Engineering)

Sq. - Square, square (Engineering)

Temp. - Temperature, temperature (Engineering and medicine)