abbreviations An abbreviation is a contracted or shortened form of a word. This handout discusses how and when to use abbreviations. Types of Abbreviations Many abbreviations are shortened versions of words.

Example: October  Oct. However, acronyms and initialisms are two special kinds of abbreviations. Acronyms Abbreviations that can be pronounced as words are called acronyms.

Example: NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Initialisms Initialisms are abbreviations that cannot be pronounced as words. Each letter in an initialism is pronounced separately.

Example: BBC (British Broadcasting Company) General Rules for Abbreviating Consult your discipline’s style manual for specific guidelines on abbreviations. First Use If an abbreviation is unfamiliar to your readers, spell out the full term the first time you use it and give the abbreviation in parentheses.

Example: intensive care unit (ICU) Only use an abbreviation if it has been established earlier in the document. Best Practice Only use an abbreviation when it saves space and avoids tedious repetition.

Writing Center SMC Campus Center 621 W. Lombard St. Room 307 www.umaryland.edu/writing 410-706-7725 Version 1.0 1 Punctuation and Abbreviations Periods While shortened versions of words are usually followed by a period, there are no definitive rules that govern whether you should put periods after each letter in an initialism or acronym. Check your discipline’s style guide.

Examples: F.B.I., FBI If you use an abbreviation at the end of the sentence, do not use an additional period.

Example: Sarah applied to the F.B.I. Other Punctuation If you end a question or an exclamation with an abbreviation, include both the final period as well as the question mark or exclamation point.

Example: Did Sarah apply to the C.I.A.? This same rule applies to commas.

Example: After Sarah applied to the C.I.A., did she apply to the F.B.I.? Plurals of Abbreviations Simply add an “s” to form the plural of most abbreviations.

Example: vols. Units of measurement are an exception to this rule.

Incorrect: 12 kms

Correct: 12 km Common Abbreviations Many abbreviations are commonly understood and do not need to be spelled out in your document. Dates and Times Abbreviate months only when used with a specific date. Do not abbreviate them when used with just a year.

With Specific Date: Aug. 28, 1989

With Year: August 1989

Writing Center SMC Campus Center 621 W. Lombard St. Room 307 www.umaryland.edu/writing 410-706-7725 2 Months Month Abbreviation January Jan. February Feb. August Aug. September Sept. October Oct. November Nov. December Dec.

Units of Time Unit Abbreviation Hour hr Minute min Second s

Abbreviate “ante meridiem” and “post meridiem” by using “a.m.” and “p.m.”, respectively. Places Only abbreviate states when used with the name of a city, town, or county.

Incorrect: MD

Correct: Baltimore, MD In formal writing, the United States should only be abbreviated when being used as an adjective.

Incorrect (Noun): I live in the U.S.

Correct (Adjective): I hope the U.S. figure skating team will win the Olympics. When referencing other countries, spell out the full name of the country the first time it is mentioned. If a well-known abbreviation for the country exists, it can be used subsequently.

Example: Democratic Republic of Congo  DCR Units of Measurement Abbreviations should only be used for units of measurement accompanied by numeric values. Other units of measurement must be written out.

Examples: 5 ft, 60 kg

Example: several millimeters When referring to the same unit of measurement in varying amounts successively, wait to list the abbreviation until after the final numerical value.

Example: 5, 10, and 15 mL Writing Center SMC Campus Center 621 W. Lombard St. Room 307 www.umaryland.edu/writing 410-706-7725 3 Common Units of Measurement Unit Abbreviation gram g hertz Hz liter L meter m volt V watt W These units are often combined with specific prefixes to indicate a multiple or fraction of the original unit.

Metric Prefixes Prefix Abbreviation Factor yotta Y 1024 zetta Z 1021 exa E 1018 peta P 1015 tera T 1012 giga G 109 mega M 106 kilo k 103 hecto h 102 deca da 101 base unit 100 deci d 10-1 centi c 10-2 milli m 10-3 micro μ 10-6 nano n 10-9 pico p 10-12 femto f 10-15 atto a 10-18 zepto z 10-21 yocto y 10-24

Example: 1 km = 1,000 m = 100,000 cm Titles and Honorifics Abbreviated titles and honorifics precede a person’s name. Many style guides discourage the use of honorifics and courtesy titles. Writing Center SMC Campus Center 621 W. Lombard St. Room 307 www.umaryland.edu/writing 410-706-7725 4 Titles and Honorifics Title Abbreviation Doctor Dr. Professor Prof. Reverend Rev. Mister (married or unmarried) Mr. Mistress (married or unmarried) Ms. Mistress (unmarried) Miss Mistress (married) Mrs. Academic Degrees Academic degrees also have associated abbreviations.

Academic Degrees Degree Abbreviation Associate of Arts AA Associate of Science AS Bachelor of Arts BA Bachelor of Science BS Bachelor of Fine Arts BFA Bachelor of Science in Nursing BSN Master of Arts MA Master of Science MS Master of Fine Arts MFA Master of Social Work MSW Doctor of Jurisprudence (i.e., Law) JD Doctor of Philosophy PhD Doctor of Science DS Doctor of Dental Surgery DDS Doctor of Science in Nursing DSN Doctor of Medicine MD Doctor of Pharmacy PharmD

Bibliographical Terms Abbreviations for words such as “edition” and “page” are frequently used in source citations. However, these abbreviations are generally not used in body text. Check your style guide for specific uses.

Incorrect: The sixth ed. of Lippincott’s book has more diagrams than the Course Atlas.

Correct: The sixth edition of Lippincott’s book has more diagrams than the Course Atlas. Writing Center SMC Campus Center 621 W. Lombard St. Room 307 www.umaryland.edu/writing 410-706-7725 5 Bibliographic Terms Term Abbreviation chapter chap. edition ed. editor Ed./Eds. figure fig. no date n.d. number no. page p./pp. part pt. volume vol./vols. Latin Abbreviations Use Latin abbreviations in source citations and parenthetical comments. Avoid using them in your body.

Latin Abbreviations Latin Phrase Abbreviation English Equivalent id est i.e. that is exempli gratia e.g. for example et cetera etc. and other things et alii et al. and others confer cf. compare nota bene n.b. note well References American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) Washington, DC: Author. Casagrande, J. (2014). The best punctuation book period: A comprehensive guide for every writer, editor, student, and businessperson. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press. Fogarty, M. (2008). Grammar Girl’s quick and dirty tips for better writing. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Griffin. International system of units. (2015, January 6). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_ System_Of_Units University of Maryland Baltimore (2015, January 6). Print style guide. Retrieved from http://www.umaryland.edu/cpa/toolbox/ print-style-guide/

Writing Center SMC Campus Center 621 W. Lombard St. Room 307 www.umaryland.edu/writing 410-706-7725 6