What is an acronym?
An acronym is a word formed from the first letters of a phrase and pronounced as a word, such as NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and NATO.
Acronyms make long names easier to say and remember. Some are so common that people forget they are acronyms. Laser comes from light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, radar from radio detection and ranging, and scuba from self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. These are often written in lowercase.
Strictly speaking, an acronym is pronounced as a word. Abbreviations pronounced letter by letter, such as FBI, BBC and USA, are called initialisms. In everyday speech, however, many people use acronym for both. Some, like JPEG, mix both styles.
Backronyms
A backronym is a phrase invented to fit a word that already exists. For example, some people claim that SOS stands for save our souls, but it was chosen simply because it is easy to send in Morse code. Many popular stories about word origins are backronyms.
Did You Know?
Texting and the internet created many new acronyms, such as LOL, laughing out loud, and FOMO, fear of missing out.