NZE: How to write abbreviations and acronyms in New Zealand English

​We use abbreviations and acronyms every day without thinking about them, and we instantly know the meaning of many of them – abbreviations like FAQs, ETA, IQ, DVDs … And today's text language is full of abbreviations LOL (or lol if you are of the younger generation).

When writing, it can be confusing knowing how 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 we’ll have a look at what the options are.

As always, rule number one is to be consistent within a document, and even across all your writing. It doesn’t look professional, and can cause confusion, if you have, for example, 9 am in one place, but
​9 a.m. in another.
​
But first things first: what are abbreviations and acronyms?
​

​What’s the difference between abbreviations and acronyms?
The terms abbreviations and acronyms refer to the shortened forms of words, names or phrases. In fact, there are also other terms for specific definitions of the shortened forms of words and phrases. However, 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 with 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: these are symbols which 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 preferable not to use them in informal text unless they are well known, for example FAQs or DVD. 
• It is preferable to use abbreviations for words which would not be as well know 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.
• 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 help aid reading.

 
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, in their strict definition of a word formed by removing the end of a word, 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., but K’ Road.
 
If an abbreviation does end in a full stop, then normal punctuation follows. (Excuse the cheesy examples!)

            The Abbreviation Assoc., Christchurch

But there is no extra full stop if it’s the end of the sentence

            A 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 usage, as 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 lower-case 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, abbreviations form the plural in the same way as 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 Tolkein, 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. Therefore, to avoid confusion or errors incomprehension, avoid the use of abbreviations in headings.

But there are some instances where this is unavoidable, in which case, use the rules below.

• If it’s unavoidable, only use those which are 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 Chevallier, 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
            30c
            180°
 
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 a book in New Zealand English and this all sounds too overwhelming, I can help. 

I am a copy-editor and proofreader based in New Zealand. My business, Clearlingo Editing and Proofreading, caters to all writers of fiction and non-fiction books. I can discuss with you where your book is at and what you need to do next.

For more information on how I can help you make your book shine, please contact me on: www.clearlingo.co.nz/contact.

I would love to hear from you. 




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.