Hammer_Stixx t1_j6vc9dd wrote on February 2, 2023 at 3:26 AM

Reply to comment by xDrBagelx in [OC] Number of English Words by Length in Letters and Syllables by OfficialWireGrind

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 on February 2, 2023 at 4:17 AM

LMAO's probably a bad example there, plenty of people use it as an acronym.

TheSeansei t1_j6vxuod wrote on February 2, 2023 at 6:57 AM

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 on February 2, 2023 at 7:31 AM

La-mao

Hammer_Stixx t1_j6vj0k1 wrote on February 2, 2023 at 4:22 AM

Not really meant to be, it's an initialism first and foremost.

Pademelon1 t1_j6vlcgm wrote on February 2, 2023 at 4:43 AM

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 on February 2, 2023 at 6:33 AM

Are you sure about that? What about Lmao being the sister of Lmfao, the chinese hacker?

JFunkX t1_j6vpltv wrote on February 2, 2023 at 5:24 AM

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.