If using more precise terms like word acronym and initialism, please link to Acronym#Nomenclature, where they are explained for readers.

Herein, the term acronym applies collectively to initialisms.ĭo not edit-war over these terms. 'UN' for the United Nations) a more precise term is word acronym, since acronym by itself is also frequently inclusive of initialisms. NATO), as distinct from the case where the initialism is said as a string of individual letters (e.g. An acronym is sometimes considered to be an initialism which is pronounced as a word (e.g. Exceptions are symbols of units of measurement, which never use periods (see WP:Manual of Style/Dates and numbers).Īcronyms are abbreviations formed, usually, from the initial letters of words in a phrase.Īn initialism is usually formed from some or all of the initial letters of words in a phrase. If in doubt, or if the dot-less usage could be confusing in the context, use the point. in American and Canadian English, but Dr. Contractions that do not contain an apostrophe almost always take a period in North American English, but the point is optional in British English: Doctor can be abbreviated Dr. They are also not used in encyclopedia content except in quotations or titles of works, as noted below. They lived near Courtyard Sq., not They lived near Courtyard Sq.).Ĭontractions that contain an apostrophe ( don't, shouldn't, she'd) never take a period (except at the end of a sentence, of course). If an abbreviation ending in a full point ends a sentence, do not use an extra full point (e.g. In the case of an acronym containing full points between letters, it should also have a full point after the final letter. Modern style is to use a full point (period) after a shortening (see § Exceptions) but no full point with an acronym. As an example, for New Zealand gross national product, use NZ and GNP, with a link if the term has not already been written out: NZ GNP do not use the made-up initialism NZGNP). If it is necessary to abbreviate in small spaces ( infoboxes, navboxes and tables), use widely recognised abbreviations. For example, ' International Feline Federation' is good as a translation of Fédération Internationale Féline, but neither the anglicisation nor the reduction IFF is used by the organisation use the original name and its official abbreviation, FIFe.

10 Abbreviations widely used in WikipediaĪvoid making up new abbreviations, especially acronyms.

4.3.1 Countries and multinational unions.

Abbreviations for words online