Phonetics And Word Formation Questions Medium
Acronyms and initialisms are both types of abbreviations used in language, but they differ in terms of pronunciation and formation.
An acronym is an abbreviation formed by taking the initial letters of a phrase or a series of words and pronouncing them as a word. For example, NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is an acronym because it is pronounced as a single word. Acronyms are usually written in all capital letters.
On the other hand, an initialism is an abbreviation formed by taking the initial letters of a phrase or a series of words, but each letter is pronounced separately. For example, FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) is an initialism because each letter is pronounced individually. Initialisms are also typically written in all capital letters.
In summary, the main difference between acronyms and initialisms lies in their pronunciation. Acronyms are pronounced as words, while initialisms are pronounced as individual letters.