IN English language A huge number of abbreviations are used.
Some of them like Mr or USA, understandable even to those who do not speak the language. Others are universal, e.g. P.S. or IQ. There are also abbreviations used only in writing, such as e.g., i.e.. or etc.
This article lists some commonly used abbreviations.
People and organizations
BBC= British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation)
EU= European Union (EU = European Union)
USA= United States of America (USA = United States of America)
UN= United Nations (UN = United Nations Organization)
P.M.= Prime Minister (Prime Minister)
M.D.= Medical Doctor (doctor)
MP= Member of Parliament
Time and dates
A.D.= Anno Domini (AD time, from the Nativity of Christ). The abbreviation has the same meaning B.C.E.(Before Common Era)
B.C.= Before Christ (time BC). Instead of B.C. abbreviation may be used C.E., which stands for Common Era.
Written forms only
Mr= Mister (Mr.)
Mrs= a married woman (Mrs., placed before the married woman’s surname)
Ms= a woman who may be single or married (Mrs., placed before the woman’s surname, regardless of her marital status)
St= Saint (Holy. For example, St Paul - St. Paul)
St= Street (street. For example, Baker St - Baker Street)
Dr= Doctor (dr., doctor)
etc.(et cetera) = and so on (and so on)
e.g.(exempli gratia) = for example (for example, for example)
i.e.(id est) = that is (that is)
Other abbreviations
AKA= Also known as
ASAP= As soon as possible (as soon as possible)
ATM= Automated Teller Machine (ATM)
BTW= By the way (by the way)
CV= Curriculum Vitae (summary)
DIY= Do it Yourself (do it yourself)
DOB= Date of Birth
FAQ=Frequently Asked Questions
FYI= For Your Information
GMO= Genetically Modified Organism (genetically modified organism)
HR= Human Resources (personnel department)
ID= Identification
IQ= Intelligence Quotient
IMHO= In my humble opinion (IMHO, in my humble opinion)
LOL= Laugh out loud (LOL, laughing out loud)
P.S.= Post Script (postscript, postscript)
PC= Personal Computer
PR= Public Relations (public relations)
R.I.P.= Rest in Peace (rest in peace)
SOS(SOS) is an international distress signal sent using Morse code. It is a sequence of “three dots - three dashes - three dots”. After the signal became widely used, the abbreviation SOS was invented different meanings, such as Save Our Souls, Save Our Ship, Stop Other Signals.
Abbreviation ( abbreviation, abbreviated words) is an abbreviated spelling of a word or group of words. Any language is full of abbreviations, and we are so accustomed to them that we use them everywhere. And if some of them are known to us since youth, then we get to know some throughout our lives. It is necessary to know abbreviations, because among them there are not only simple, but also quite important abbreviations that are useful in work and correspondence, as well as in many other areas of our lives. Every language has abbreviations; moreover, every language borrows abbreviations from other languages. Sometimes we automatically use one or another abbreviation and don’t remember how it stands for. Let's try to study the most important and common ones.
How are abbreviations read in English?
- Some abbreviations in English pronounced separately by letter:
- WHO (World Health Organization) – pronounce W-H-O– World Health Organization
- BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) – British Broadcasting Corporation
- UK (United Kingdom) – United Kingdom - Great Britain
- USA (Unites States of America) - USA
- P.M. (Prime Minister) - Prime Minister
- MP (Member of Parliament) - member of parliament
- EU (European Union) - European Union
- PC (Personal computer) - Personal Computer
- Other abbreviations are read as words and are called acronyms:
- NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) – North Atlantic Alliance
- AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) – AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome)
- HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) – HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
- In the English language there are abbreviations that are used only in writing, but in speech they are pronounced as full words:
- Mr (Mister) - Mister
- Mrs (Mistress) - Mrs.
- Dr (Doctor) - doctor
- St (Saint / Street) – saint or street
- The following abbreviations in English are used in organizational structure language:
- etc. – and so on- (Latin et cetera) - and so on
- i.e. – what is to say- (Latin id est) - that is
- N.B. – please note– (Latin nota bene) – note well, note
- RSVP – please reply– (French repondez s'il vous plait) – respond to an invitation
- e.g. – for example– (Latin exemplary gratia) - For example
All indicated abbreviations, except the first, are read by letter.
- Some words are used in abbreviated form if the speaking style is informal:
- Lab (laboratory) – laboratory
- TV (television) - TV
- Exam (examination) - exam
- Ad (advertisement) - announcement
- Case (suitcase) - briefcase
- Mum (mother) – mother
- Phone (telephone) - telephone
- Board (blackboard) - board
- Fridge (Refrigerator) - fridge
- Bike (bicycle) - bike
- Dad (father) - father
- Flu (influenza) - flu
These are the basic rules that abbreviations in English follow. In conclusion, let's add a few more:
- Blvd. (boulevard) – boulevard
- Emb. (embankment) - embankment
- Ave. (avenue) - avenue
- Sq. (square) - square
- B.Sc. (Bachelor of Science) – Bachelor of Science
- M.A. (Master of Arts) – Master of Arts
- Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) - PhD
- M.D. (Doctor of Medicine) - Doctor of Medical Sciences
When you come across an abbreviation in English, be sure to recognize it full version and ask about the translation, because you don’t know in advance when you will meet her again! Moreover, knowing important abbreviations will improve your English proficiency!
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
In English there are generally accepted abbreviations of words that are used everywhere. This is not only the well-known P.S. (postscript) or etc. (and so on), but also designations of measures of length and time, days of the week and months, and many others. They can be found both in books and manuals, and in correspondence.
The development of language does not stand still. Today, thanks to popular culture and the Internet, slang is evolving especially quickly. So, over the past 10 years, many new abbreviations and acronyms have appeared that are useful for all English language learners to know.
Today we’ll talk about common abbreviations found both in texts and in conversation. We will also find out what abbreviations there are in English and how they are deciphered.
The most common abbreviations in English
In this section you will find common abbreviations used in England, the USA and other countries. Many of them originate from Latin language.
etc. (et cetera) - and so on
e.g. (exempli gratia) - for example
i.e. (id est) - that is
vs. (versus) - against
AD (Anno Domini) - AD, from the Nativity of Christ
BC (Before Christ) - BC, before the Nativity of Christ
AM (ante meridiem) - before noon
PM (post meridiem) - after noon
Abbreviations for people:
Jr. (junior) - junior
Sr. (senior) - senior
Smth. (something) - something
Smb. (somebody) – someone
V.I.P. (a very important person) - a very important person
Aka (also known as)
PM (Prime Minister) - Prime Minister
PA (Personal Assistant) – personal secretary
Books and writing:
ABC - alphabet
n. (noun) - noun
v. (verb) - verb
adj. (adjective) - adjective
adv. (adverb) - adverb
prep. (preposition) - preposition
p. (page) - page
pp. (pages) - pages
par. (paragraph) - paragraph
ex. (exercise) – exercise
pl. (plural) - plural
sing. (singular) – singular
P.S. (Post Scriptum) - afterword
P.P.S. (Post Post Scriptum) - afterword
Re. (reply) - answer
Rf. (reference) - footnote, link
Edu. (education) – education
Appx. (appendix) - application
w/o (without) - without
w/ (with) - c
& (and) - and
Measurements:
in. (inch) - inch
sec. (second) - second
gm. (gram) - gram
cm. (centimeter) - centimeter
qt. (quart) – quart
mph (miles per hour) - miles per hour
kph (kilometres per hour) – kilometers per hour
ft. (foot) – foot (30 cm 48 mm)
lb (libra) – pound (450 g)
oz. (ounce) – ounce (28 g)
pt. (pint) – pint (0.56 liters)
Days of the week and months of the year:
yr. (year) - year
Jan. (January) - January
Feb. (February) - February
Mar. (March) - March
Apr. (April) - April
Jun. (June) - June
Jul. (July) - July
Aug. (August) - August
Sep. (September) - September
Oct. (October) - October
Nov. (November) - November
Dec. (December) - December
X-mas (Christmas) - Christmas
May (May) is not abbreviated.
Mon. (Monday) - Monday
Tue. (Tuesday) - Tuesday
Wed. (Wednesday) - Wednesday
Thu. (Thursday) - Thursday
Fri. (Friday) - Friday
Sat. (Saturday) - Saturday
Sun. (Sunday) - Sunday
TGIF (Thanks God It’s Friday) - “Thank God, today is Friday!”
Organization abbreviations:
UN (the United Nations)
NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) - NATO
UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) - UNESCO
You can often find truncations full words to shorter ones. For example:
sis (sister) - sister
doc (doctor) - doctor
telly (television) - television, television
phone (telephone) - telephone
specs (spectacles) - glasses
refrigerator (refrigerator) - refrigerator
flu (influenza) - influenza
comfy (comfortable) - convenient
sngl (single) - alone, lonely
sngl room - single room
dbl room - double room
gent (gentleman) - man
div. (divorced) - divorced
and others.
Abbreviations and useful phrases for online correspondence
The English, like us, use various abbreviations of long words or phrases in everyday speech or correspondence. What is it for? To type a message faster and get your message across faster, keep it within the allotted number of characters (for example, on Twitter).
Do you want to chat with foreigners? This means that you need to know popular abbreviations that are often found on the Internet. By the way, “digital language” has already received its name and is allocated to a separate category - Digispeak(digital - “digital”)
Many abbreviations have become acronyms (a type of abbreviation that is formed by the initial sounds of a word) and are used most often in correspondence:
B - be (verb to be, “to be”)
C - see (verb to see, “to see”)
R - are (verb to be in 2 units)
K – ok (“good”)
N - and (“and”)
U - you (“you”)
UR - your (“your”, “yours”)
Y - why (“why”)
1 - one (“one”)
2 - two (“two”) / to (preposition “in”, “on”) / too (“too”)
4 - four, for (4U - “for you”)
8 - ate (verb to eat, “to eat” in Past Simple)
Tip: To better understand abbreviations, say them out loud.
Often, acronyms appear precisely because of the consonance of words. A similar rule can be applied to acronyms or other abbreviations in correspondence - just say them out loud and try to understand what words or expressions they remind you of.
For example:
Some1 (someone) - someone
Any1 (anyone) - any
Be4 (before) - before
2day (today) - today
4u (for you) - for you
gr8 (great) - excellent / excellent
w8 (wait) - wait / waiting
2u (to you) - for you
u2 (you too) - you too
And many others. The main thing is to turn on your imagination!
Now let’s look at what the popular abbreviations and abbreviations of the most popular colloquial phrases in English mean:
ASAP - As soon as possible (“As quickly as possible” or “The sooner the better”)
This abbreviation is common in work environment and understandable to everyone. The abbreviation ASAP has spread far beyond English-speaking countries and is used throughout the world.
PLS, PLZ - Please (please)
An abbreviation that is understandable without unnecessary comments. In Russian we usually write “plz” or “pliz”.
THX - Thanks
You can also find a shorter version: TU / TY (Thank you)
Perhaps one of the most frequently used abbreviations on the Internet. In Russian it is known simply as “lol”.
ROFL - Rolling on the floor (“Rolling on the floor laughing”)
Same as LOL, only funnier. So that you can “break your stomach from laughing.”
OMG - Oh my god! Oh my goodness! Oh my gosh! ("Oh my God!")
This abbreviation has also spread far beyond English-speaking countries, and now “OMG” can be heard in every corner of the world. Including his obscene version of OMFG (Oh my F**king God).
IDK - I don’t know (“I don’t know”)
A simple abbreviation that occurs quite often.
DIKY - Do I know you? ("Do I know you?")
This is how you can write to a stranger who contacted you in a chat or wrote for the first time.
BRB - Be right back (“I'll be back soon”)
Another popular abbreviation in the work environment, especially in informal ones. If you need to leave your computer or workplace for a while, write to the chat BRB and your colleagues will understand that you will be gone for a short time. By the way, online players also often use the abbreviation BRB. They also have an abbreviation AFK, which stands for Away from keyboard.
B2W - Back to work
This is when you were BRB, but returned to your computer and write to your colleagues in the chat that again B2W, that is, ready to work further.
?4U - Question for you (“Have a question for you”)
If you don't want to write the full phrase I have a question for you, then you can send it to your interlocutor in the chat ?4U and start asking the question itself.
IMHO - In my humble opinion (“In my humble opinion”)
This interesting abbreviation was quickly picked up in Russia and turned into “IMHO”. It is used in cases when you want to express your opinion on some issue, but emphasize that this is only your subjective point of view.
TTYL - Talk to you later (“Let’s talk later”)
Abbreviation of the full phrase I will talk to you later, meaning "I'll talk to you later."
CUL8R - See you later (“See you later”)
This is one of those options where you have to say the acronym out loud to understand where it comes from. Look at the list of acronyms at the very beginning of the article.
C = see; U = you; L8R = later
C + U + L + eight + R = see + you + later
You can also find another version of this abbreviation: BCNUL8R - Be seeing you later, in which B = be, and CN = seeing.
RUF2T - Are you free to talk? (“Can you talk?”)
Another abbreviation formed from acronyms. To understand, it’s better to say it out loud.
R = Are; U = you; F = free; 2 = to; T = talk
R + U + F + two + T = are + you + free + to + talk
LU / LY - Love you ("I love you") or ILU / ILY - I love you ("I love you")
You can find many abbreviations of the phrase “ I love you” in English, but these are the most common. You can also write to your loved one . What does this mean - see below.
Less than three -
This is more of a designation than an abbreviation, but is also found in correspondence. Symbols BF and GF - Boyfriend and Girlfriend (Friend and Girlfriend)
Quite simple abbreviations that everyone can understand.
BFF - Best friends forever (“Best friends forever”)
This is what best friends or girlfriends call themselves to emphasize spiritual closeness. The abbreviation has gone far beyond the Internet and correspondence: you can especially often find it in the fashion industry. For example, one of the gift options for best friends is two identical pendants with halves of a heart, which together form an inscription BFF.
ATM - At the moment
If you want to say that you are single at the moment (and are looking for a partner), you can write that you are “sgle ATM”. Do not confuse it with an ATM - it is also called ATM. It all depends on the context.
DETI - Don "t even think it ("Don't even think about it")
An easy-to-remember abbreviation that sounds like “children” in Russian.
JK - Just kidding
Usually sent as a separate message to follow up on the previous one, to clarify that it was a joke.
SUP - What's up? (“What's going on?”)
A common greeting to a friend, used without a question mark.
WTF - What the f**k? ("What the hell?")
There is no need to explain this abbreviation for a long time - it is clear without unnecessary words.
>Digispeak, after all, is more common on the Internet and among young people and sometimes confuses the older generation. Teenagers use digispeak in Everyday life Often. Here, for example, are a couple of humorous dialogues from correspondence young guy with his mother:
- Mark, what does IDK, LY & TTYL mean?
- I don’t know, love you, talk to you later
- Ok, I’ll ask your sister. Love you too.
Mark, what do IDK, LY and TTYL stand for?
- I don’t know, I love you, we’ll talk later
- Okay, I'll ask your sister. Love you too
Or another dialogue when mom doesn’t know what WTF is:
- Got an A in Chemistry!
- WTF, well done, Mark!
- Mom, what do you think WTF means?
- Well That's Fantastic
Got an A in Chemistry!
- WTF, great job, Mark!
- Mom, what do you think WTF means?
- Well, this is fantastic
To avoid getting into an awkward situation like Mark did with his mom, study the words and phrases in this article. Chat in English and you can practice your language more often!
And now is the time to say B4N (Bye for now) or bye"!
Today we will talk about fashionable computer abbreviations(and not only). We have two wonderful videos on this topic. Let's get started!
asap= as soon as possible. This abbreviation is often used for letters and short notes at work (called memo) and is translated "As soon as possible". For example, “Call me back asap!” means “Call me back as soon as possible!”
What is IOU?
iou= “I owe you.” This word can be used within business relations and translated "I owe you"(usually about money). In legal English, the abbreviation IOU refers to a signed document certifying the existence of debt obligations.
Principles for reading some abbreviations
Our savvy reader could already guess on his own that some abbreviations in English you can simply spell it out or numbers, and get a meaningful phrase. First, let's look at the most common symbols:
- u = you (you);
- r = are (there is);
- c = see (see);
- y = why (why);
- 8 = ate (ate);
- 2 = two/to/too (2/to/too);
- 4 = for (for).
New abbreviations appear at a tremendous speed, but once you understand the basic logic and mechanism of formation, you will be able to decipher them yourself! The main thing is to know how the letters are read. Examples: ICQ = I seek you (I am looking for you), icu = I see you (I see you), i4cu = I foresee you (I foresee you), sk8 = skate (skate). A little more complicated: y u no...? = why you no (why don’t you)...? = why don't you...?
Yes, that’s right, there’s an ERROR here: …cat don’t... Such
Unfortunately, not all abbreviations are so easy to decipher. Those abbreviations where each letter corresponds to a word are called initial abbreviations. For example, LST = Large Solar Telescope, UNSC = UNSC = United Nations Security Council = United Nations Security Council. Even more unfortunately, they can have many meanings... For example, UNSC can also stand for United Nations Space Command.
LOL
lol= laugh out loud = I laugh out loud= LOL. This is probably the most popular abbreviation on the Internet, so everyone should know it!
What does BRB mean?
brb= be right back. If during conversations on ICQ or Skype you need to go to the toilet, you can write brb to your interlocutor, which means "I'll be there soon". This abbreviation will also be useful for gamers to know.
OMG what does this mean
omg= oh my god = Oh my God! This abbreviation is especially popular among young girls. According to some English speakers, the word God can offend the feelings of another person, so it is better to say oh my goodness/gosh. However, the translation into Russian will not change.
WTF translation
wtf- one of the many informal (read obscene) abbreviations. It expresses an extreme degree of misunderstanding and stands for what the fuck = what the f...?/what the fuck? Naturally, this phrase may sound offensive and unpleasant. try to use it only in the company of friends. Otherwise mom will find out and make an attack.
Other abbreviations
- plz = please = please;
- l8r = later = later;
- ?4u = question for you = question for you;
- jk = just kidding = just kidding;
- asl = age, sex, location = age, gender, location (used when dating online);
- ttyl = talk to you later = let's talk later;
- cya = see you = see you;
- np = no problem = no problem;
- idk = I don’t know = I don’t know;
- tmi = too much information = too much information;
- k = okay = okay/good.
For examples of the use of these abbreviations and the subtleties of their use, watch the video! Want even more speeds? 😉 Watch the lesson.
I have a student who is involved in science. And in science there is nowhere without abbreviations. Yes, and in ordinary written speech, including fiction, not to mention specialized, abbreviations like e.g., i.e. or everyone knows etc. the darkness is dark. Some of them come from Latin, but most are just abbreviations English words. I offer you a list of the most commonly used abbreviations (sometimes with examples and notes):
A.D.(anno Domini) - year AD
B.C.(Before Christ) - year BC
Please note that AD is placed before the date (AD64), BC after (300BC); when indicating the century, both come after the numeral (second century AD, fourth century BC)
approx.(aproximately / approximate) - approximately, approximately, approximate
avg.(average) - average, on average
ca.(circa - /?s3?k?/) - approximately, approximately: e.g. "People first came to the area ca 1700."
cent.(century, centuries) - century, centuries
cf.(confer, compare) - see also, cf., link often found in books
co.(column) - column
cont(d).(continued) - continuation. This abbreviation may have a different meaning depending on the context, for example, contained, contents, contraction, continent etc.
ctr.(center) - center, central d. (died, died in) - died: e.g. "The dean of the university at that time was Sir James Stone (d. 1965)."
ed.(edited, edition) - ed., publication, published
e.g.(exempli gratia - for example) - for example. Please note that this abbreviation is read exactly as “for example”! No unauthorized "and ji": e.g. "You can use different adjectives to describe it, e.g. wonderful, beautiful, amazing or splendid."
esp.(especially) - especially: e.g. "I like ice-cream, esp. pistachio-flavoured ice-cream."
est(d).(established / estimated) - founded; calculated, estimate: e.g. "He worked in TD McGuire est. 1987"; "He received est. $10mln."
et al.(et alii) - and others (in the bibliography "with co-authors")
incl.(including) - including: e.g. "They put everything in one box, incl. books on Chaucer."
hr(hours) - hour, hours: e.g. "This car can travel 230 km/hr."
max., min.(maximum, minimum) - maximum, minimum
misc.(miscellaneous) - other: e.g. "The shelf was full of misc. objects."
n.a.: 1) not applicable - not applicable to this case, not applicable: e.g. "This formula shows the general law (n.a. in acid environment)";
2) not available, non available - not available, no data
N.B.(nota bene - note particularly) - note bene, mark “notice well, take note”
No.(number) - number: e.g. "I gave him a mug with the text "I am Dad No.1"."
prev.(previous) - previous: e.g. "See prev. page for more information."
pt.(part) - part: e.g. "You can look it up in Quantum Physics pt. II."
qt.(quantity / quart) - quantity; quart
resp.(respectively) - accordingly: e.g. "Basic earnings increased 40% and 39% to $0.55 and $0.54 resp."
std.(standard) - standard, standard
vs.(versus) - against: e.g. "We went to see Alien vs. Predator"
w/(with) - with: e.g. "Add sugar w/ cinnamon to the batter."
w/o(without) - without: e.g. "There you can order sandwiches w/o mayo."
