[OC] Number of English Words by Length in Letters and SyllablesSubmitted by OfficialWireGrind t3_10rbedi in dataisbeautiful
Ranzok t1_j6uv0t7 wrote
Reply to comment by OfficialWireGrind in [OC] Number of English Words by Length in Letters and Syllables by OfficialWireGrind
Initialisms not acronyms, btw. Not to be a pedant!
10kLines t1_j6uvlfu wrote
I'd never heard of initialisms. Thank you, kind pedant!
cboogie t1_j6uxyib wrote
In discussions about language pedantry is usually allowed just as long as you’re not smug.
xDrBagelx t1_j6v5yxg wrote
But an initialism is an acronym? So you're just making it more specific which doesn't matter in this case, right?
Hammer_Stixx 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.
Pademelon1 t1_j6vig5z wrote
LMAO's probably a bad example there, plenty of people use it as an acronym.
TheSeansei 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?
mpc1226 t1_j6w0hkb wrote
La-mao
Hammer_Stixx t1_j6vj0k1 wrote
Not really meant to be, it's an initialism first and foremost.
Pademelon1 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.
isolde1malbaden t1_j6vvuwu wrote
Are you sure about that? What about Lmao being the sister of Lmfao, the chinese hacker?
JFunkX 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.
PM_ME_YOUR_PLECTRUMS t1_j6vcii6 wrote
In an initialism, you say the letters one by one (eg: ATM), in an acronym, you pronounce the resulting word (eg: NASA)
Shigy t1_j6vs5dk wrote
Given that everyone misuses the word acronym to describe initialisms, I think the definitions are on their way to being totally conflated.
Mech-Waldo t1_j6vbz5x wrote
That's exactly what you're being
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