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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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t1_j6vig5z wrote

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

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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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t1_j6vj0k1 wrote

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

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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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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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