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pootis_engage t1_j6up9si wrote

Three letters, five syllables? What words are those?

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OfficialWireGrind OP t1_j6uu0az wrote

They are the abbreviation Rep, and the acronyms BMW, DFW. If I'm not mistaken, DFW stands for Dallas Fort-Worth. The dataset, though, lists the pronunciation as "dee-eff-dub-eh-you."

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Ranzok t1_j6uv0t7 wrote

Initialisms not acronyms, btw. Not to be a pedant!

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10kLines t1_j6uvlfu wrote

I'd never heard of initialisms. Thank you, kind pedant!

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cboogie t1_j6uxyib wrote

In discussions about language pedantry is usually allowed just as long as you’re not smug.

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xDrBagelx t1_j6v5yxg wrote

But an initialism is an acronym? So you're just making it more specific which doesn't matter in this case, right?

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Hammer_Stixx t1_j6vc9dd wrote

Acronyms are for shortened names that are still pronounced as words, like PETA, or NATO. Initialisms are the ones that you just shorten for the sake of shortening, but aren't really pronounceable. Things like BMW, or LMAO.

I might be wrong about this, but this is what I can vaguely remember on the topic.

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Pademelon1 t1_j6vig5z wrote

LMAO's probably a bad example there, plenty of people use it as an acronym.

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TheSeansei t1_j6vxuod wrote

I can’t figure out how you would make that anything other than an initialism?

Like what, L-mao, as in the chairman?

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Hammer_Stixx t1_j6vj0k1 wrote

Not really meant to be, it's an initialism first and foremost.

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Pademelon1 t1_j6vlcgm wrote

Yeah, but plenty of initialisms get corrupted into acronyms. Better to use examples that are unequivocal. BMW was a good one. PNG is another.

Don't want to argue, just pointing out that it might confuse some people.

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JFunkX t1_j6vpltv wrote

You are correct. NASCAR, NASA, SCUBA, RADAR are all examples of acronyms (Initialisms that are pronounced as a word). FBI, CIA, GED, are examples of initialisms where each individual letter is said.

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PM_ME_YOUR_PLECTRUMS t1_j6vcii6 wrote

In an initialism, you say the letters one by one (eg: ATM), in an acronym, you pronounce the resulting word (eg: NASA)

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Shigy t1_j6vs5dk wrote

Given that everyone misuses the word acronym to describe initialisms, I think the definitions are on their way to being totally conflated.

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praise_the_hankypank t1_j6w1a9b wrote

No one blinked at the pronunciation of W here? Is this acceptable in the US? Regards the rest of the world

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waterside48 t1_j6w4sjl wrote

…how do you pronounce it? it’s literally a double u?

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praise_the_hankypank t1_j6wmsx2 wrote

Read what you just wrote again.

The rest of the world pronounces it out fully as in ‘dou-bel-you’. As you say, it’s literally a double U not dub-uh-you lol.

Some countries also say dou-bel-vee.

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waterside48 t1_j74xxom wrote

Oh yeah I think that may just be an accent thing or speaking English fluently and shortening words. In certain parts of the US, like the south, it’s more obvious and pronounced like “dub a you”

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antennawire t1_j6vqiww wrote

In the end that's what sound we produce when saying acronyms, so I would say it's a valuable abstraction for the visualisation.

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mikeystocks100 t1_j6v4a2h wrote

If that's what you're asking why wouldn't you ask about 2-letter words with 5 syllables?

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Mooks79 t1_j6wo3cg wrote

WWW is a famous example where it’s actually less syllables to pronounce the full phrase - World Wide Web.

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merlin401 t1_j6xyasw wrote

Right but the full phrase is almost never what you are referring to since 99/100 if you say www you’re intending to talk about it being typed with specifically those three letters

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[deleted] t1_j6usu8n wrote

[deleted]

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Simplified_J t1_j6utik4 wrote

That's 5 letters 3 syllables, comment says 3 letters 5 syllables.

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7elevenses t1_j6utsh0 wrote

Oh, I misread that. I guess it would be an acronym that includes W then.

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