How to write abbeviations
We use abbreviations and acronyms every day without thinking about them, and we instantly know the meaning of many of them – like FAQs, ETA, IQ, DVDs. And today's text language is full of them, LOL (or lol if you are of the younger generation).
It can be confusing to write abbreviations and acronyms correctly, and as there are only small style variations, it doesn’t always look wrong to use one or the other.
However, to make your writing look professional, there are some style decisions you will need to make when writing in New Zealand English text, so let's have a look at what the options are.
As always, rule number 1 is to be consistent – both within a document and across all your writing. For example, it doesn’t look professional, and can cause confusion, if you have 9 am in one place but 9 a.m. in another.
But first things first: what's the difference between abbreviations and acronyms?
Abbreviations vs acronyms
The terms abbreviations and acronyms refer to the shortened forms of words, names or phrases. There are other terms for specific definitions of the shortened forms of words and phrases, but these specific definitions can overlap depending on what style guide you are using.
And just to make it confusing (or, maybe, simpler), the term abbreviation is often used as an overall term for all the definitions – which is what I will do in this article to simplify things.
The New Oxford Style Manual and Fit to Print have these definitions:
Abbreviation: a short form of a word created by removing the ends of words. For example, cent. and assoc. (See ‘Punctuation’ below on punctuating abbreviations compared to contractions).
Acronym: an abbreviation created by using the initial letter of several words which are pronounced as a new word. For example, PIN, Unesco, Aids, NASA and radar.
Initialism: similar to an acronym, but the letters do not make a pronounceable word and are said individually. For example, ANZ, KPI and BMI.
Contraction: a short form created by using the first letter(s) and last letter(s) of a word. For example, Mrs, St, dept. and Dr.
Symbols and signs: symbols that represent a word, for example %, $ or #.
How to write abbreviations
Rule number 2 is that abbreviations can be used to speed up reading and save space, but should not cause confusion.
Short form or spelled out?
The first time the term is used, it should be spelled out in full, with the abbreviation in brackets. Or, if it is a common term, the spelled-out version can be in the brackets.
The World Union for Abbreviations (WUA) is renowned for succinct text.
Some people who use computers often have RSI (repetitive strain injury).
Here are some general rules about using abbreviations in specific situations:
Some abbreviations are now so common, that the full name is not required. For example, UN, NZ and BBC. But consider the target audience, and if it’s likely they may not be familiar with the term, add the full word or phrase.
Abbreviations are more common in technical or at least non-fiction text, and it is best not to use them in informal text unless they are well known, for example FAQs or DVD.
Use abbreviations for words that would not be as well known when spelled out, for example DNA or ATM.
If a word or phrase is used only once or twice in the text, then the full word or phrase should be used without the abbreviation.
If you think the reader will have difficulty remembering what the abbreviation stands for (for example, if it was used many pages ago) or the chapters may be read out of sequence, then spell it out again at first mention in each chapter.
If the text has many abbreviations, consider supplying a list of abbreviations at the beginning of the document.
If a document is very heavy with abbreviations, it may be better to only abbreviate the more common terms and leave the rest spelled out. This may improve readability.
Punctuation
New Zealand English doesn’t use full stops within or at the end of acronyms, contractions and initialisms.
Mr, Mrs, Dr, Rd and St
Aids, IQ, USA, radar, ANZ, NZ, PO Box
m (for metres), kg, kph and km
$6 m, $4 b
demo and flu (colloquial abbreviations)
N, E, S, W (compass directions)
Abbreviations, on the other hand, still have a full stop in the New Zealand Oxford Dictionary, though this is becoming less common in more informal texts. This is a style decision you can make, but ensure it is consistent.
cent.
assoc.
Co.
Exceptions
St. for Saint, to avoid confusion with St for Street
No. for the Latin numero to avoid confusion with the word no (though the plural of no. is nos)
The abbreviations a.m. and p.m. use full stops and a space after the numeral, though some style guides accept am and pm, e.g. 4 p.m. or 4 pm
Abbreviations of a single capital letter uses a full stop. G. Lane, Victoria U., C.S. Lewis.
If an abbreviation does end in a full stop, then normal punctuation follows.
The Abbreviation Assoc., Christchurch
But there is no extra full stop if it’s the end of the sentence
The building belonged to the Abbreviation Assoc.
Capitalisation
Some acronyms are now treated as nouns and don’t use capitals. Your best bet is to check the New Zealand Oxford Dictionary for whether to use capitals or not, and sometimes both options are acceptable.
Aids (also AIDS), radar, Unesco (also UNESCO), ANZAC (for the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps) but Anzac Day and Anzac biscuits.
Some abbreviations are shown in small caps.
AD 470, 1450 BC
An abbreviated unit of measurement is lowercase.
3 kg, 5 m, 100 kph
Don’t start a sentence with a lowercase abbreviation, such as ca. or cf. An exception is in footnotes.
Units of measurement
Units of measurement are lowercase and don’t use full stops.
km, m, kph, ha
A space between the numeral and the unit of measurement is preferred for style and aesthetic reasons, though newspapers and technical publications often don’t have the space. In this case, pick a style and be consistent, both within the document but also across all your documents.
4 m, 8 ha, 60 kph
Only use the abbreviations with numerals, not the spelled-out number.
6 km, six kilometres
Don’t add a plural s to km or kg.
It was still 10 km to the finish line.
We needed 50 kg of cement
A or an before an abbreviation
Whether you use a or an before an abbreviation depends on the pronunciation, not the spelling.
An NZ town (if you say the letters and don't substitute the full New Zealand)
An MMP voting system
A Nasa rocket
A radar signal
An HD TV
An RSI sufferer
Possessives
Possessives of abbreviations are formed in the same way they are with words.
A CEO’s position
The MPs’ vote
Avoid writing possessives with the acronym in a bracket; it is better to rearrange the text and spell out at the next use.
✘ The BNZ’s (Bank of New Zealand) logo is blue and yellow.
✔ The logo of the BNZ (Bank of New Zealand) is blue and yellow.
Plurals
Despite what you often see on signs around town, make the plural of abbreviations in the same way as for words – by adding an s.
DVDs
FAQs or faqs
VIPs
For plurals of abbreviations formed as a single letter, an apostrophe can be clearer.
He got all A’s in his exams
Minding your p’s and q’s
Names and titles
Initials of first names are separated by full stops, but no spaces.
J.K. Rowling, J.S. Bach
An exception is in newspapers and scientific publications, which may leave out the full stops.
JRR Tolkien, George W Bush
Names of people commonly known by their abbreviation don’t take full stops or spaces.
JFK
Titles following a name, such as titles of honour, are usually in capitals.
Dame Jane Campion DNZM
Dame Malvina Major ONZ, GNZM, DBE
Titles before a name don’t have a full stop.
Mr Joe Bloggs
Mrs Jane Smith
Dr S. Brown
Capt James Cook, but Captain Cook (not abbreviated without the fist name)
Letters of achievement don’t have a full stop and are separated by commas.
James Knight DPd, BA
Sarah White BSc
In headings
Headings are used for clarity and orientation around a document, so it's best to not use abbreviations in headings.
But where this is unavoidable, use the rules below:
Only use it if it is commonly abbreviated.
Spell it out on first mention in the text, with the abbreviation in brackets.
Only use abbreviated form in the heading; not the full form with the abbreviation in brackets.
Latin abbreviations
Latin abbreviations should not be used in body text and should really only be used in footnotes or where space is at a premium. This also applies to the common ones: e.g., i.e. and etc. – use the full form.
Use a comma before e.g., i.e. and etc. but not after.
Baking, e.g. cakes and biscuits
Baking, i.e. sweet food cooked in an oven
The vet treated the cats, dogs, sheep, etc. and then went home.
Don’t begin a list that ends in etc. with such as, for example and like, as these already indicate that the list is incomplete.
Geographical names
There is no punctuation in place names
Mt Cook
Wallis Ave
Pt Chevalier, but Pleasant Point
Dudson Tce
UK, NZ, USA, though spelling out is preferred in more formal texts.
Symbols
When symbols are used, there is no space between the numeral and the symbol
10%
$6.00
30c
180°C
Specific styles
Legal and scientific documents have their own style guide. Check the house style guide or the appropriate style guide.
Bibliographies and references also have their own style guide. Refer to the style guides, e.g. Harvard, APA, Vancouver, etc. for the appropriate styling of references
How can I check?
Dictionaries will include abbreviations, so you can check the capitalisation, punctuation and spacing for individual words.
What next?
If you have written content in New Zealand English and this all sounds overwhelming, I can help.
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Sources:
Hughes, J., & Wallace, D. (2010). Fit to Print : The Writing & Editing Style Guide for Aotearoa New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand: Dunmore Publishing.
Oxford University Press, (2016). New Oxford Style Manual (3rd ed.). United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.