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Commonly used acronyms

A List of Common Acronyms in English You Should Know

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Dalia Y

BA, MA, Phil. Grammarflex's initial initiator and contributor.

What’s an Acronym?

Acronyms are a fascinating part of the English language, serving as linguistic shortcuts that make communication quicker and more efficient. They are formed by taking the first letter of each word in a phrase and combining them to create a new, pronounceable word. This method allows us to say complex concepts with ease, integrating them seamlessly into daily conversation.

What Defines an Acronym?

An acronym is a type of abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word. For instance, “BRB” for “Be Right Back” is a common example, particularly in digital communication. This differs from other forms of shortening, as acronyms are designed to be spoken as a single unit, not as a series of individual letters.
💡Study Tip

Acronyms are often written in all caps, but some—like *scuba* and *radar*—are now so common that they’re written in lowercase. Context matters!

The differences between acronyms and abbreviations

Acronyms and abbreviations are both shortened forms of words or phrases. The difference is in how we shorten them:

  • Abbreviations (type of truncation) are short forms that either omit or cut off parts of the original term/word.
    • For example, Dr. is an abbreviation for doctor.
  • Acronyms are new ways to mention a phrase that combines the letters of the words it comprises.
    • MAGA uses the first letters in Make America Great Again to form a shorter word with a new pronunciation, but the same meaning.

Common English Acronyms to Know

Acronym Stands For
AKA Also Known As
ASAP As Soon As Possible
AWOL Absent WithOut Leave
BAE Before Anyone Else
BOGO Buy One, Get One (free)
BOYO Bring Your Own (food, drinks, whatever)
BRB Be Right Back
BTW By The Way
CAPTCHA Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart
CTA Call To Action
FIFA Federation Internationale de Football Association
FLOTUS First Lady Of The United States
FOMO Fear Of Missing Out
FUBAR F*ed Up Beyond Recognition
FYI For Your Information
GIF Graphics Interchange Format
IMAX Image Maximum
IMO In My Opinion
LASER Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
LOL Laugh Out Loud
MoMA Museum of Modern Art
NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement
NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Navy SEALS Sea Air Land forces
OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration
PIN Personal Identification Number
POTUS President Of The United States
RADAR Radio Detection and Ranging
RAM Random Access Memory
REM Rapid Eye Movement
SCOTUS Supreme Court of the United States
SCUBA Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
SONAR Sound Navigation and Ranging
SWAT Special Weapons and Tactics
SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
WHO World Health Organization
WiFi Wireless Fidelity
YOLO You Only Live Once
AFK Away From Keyboard
OMG Oh My God
SMH Shake My Head
IDK I Don’t Know
DIY Do It Yourself
ETA Estimated Time of Arrival
OMW On My Way!
NGL Not Gunna Lie
EOD End of Day
WFH Work From Home
TBD/TBA To Be Determined or To Be Announced

Work Sheet

Question 1 of 10

Which of the following is an acronym?



What does the acronym “ASAP” stand for?



Which of the following acronyms is commonly written in lowercase?



What is the difference between an acronym and an abbreviation?



Which of the following is an example of an acronym from the tech field?



If you want to know more about art, visit in New York City.



I’ll be there !



The company uses a analysis to plan strategically.



She was from her desk during the meeting.



Before you leave, I need your to access the building.





Frequently Asked Questions

What’s an acronym, as defined in the post?
+

An acronym is a word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word (e.g., “BRB” for “Be Right Back”). This differs from abbreviations.

How do acronyms differ from abbreviations?
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Acronyms are pronounced as a word (like NASA), while abbreviations are shortened forms omitting parts of a word (like Dr. for doctor), not a new pronounceable word.

Should I always capitalize acronyms?
+

Acronyms are often in all caps, but common ones like “scuba” and “radar” are now lowercase. Context matters when deciding capitalization.

What does “ASAP” stand for, based on the post?
+

According to the post, “ASAP” stands for “As Soon As Possible.” The post lists several common acronyms and their meanings.

Is “GIF” an acronym or abbreviation?
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“GIF” (Graphics Interchange Format) is an acronym because it’s pronounced as a word. The post discusses acronyms being pronounceable as words.

Yash, D. "A List of Common Acronyms in English You Should Know." Grammarflex, Jun 4, 2025, https://www.grammarflex.com/a-list-of-common-acronyms-in-english-you-should-know/.

Sources

  1. Oxford English Dictionary. “Latin plurals in English.” Oxford University Press.

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