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According to Dictionary.com, acronym and abbreviation are two distinct terms that are commonly confused with each other.

Can be confused

abbreviation, acronym, initialism.

Dictionary.com definition of Acronym

Contrastly, Google defines an acronym as a specific type of abbreviation.

Acronym:

an abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word (e.g., ASCII, NASA ).

Google Search Results for "define acronym"

I know that not all abbreviations are acronyms, but there seems to be contradicting information on whether the reverse is true.

There are some acronyms which take longer to say than their original phrase. As FumbleFingers points out, despite being shorter to write, it takes longer to pronounce www (9 syllables) than world wide web (3 syllables).

Are all acronyms a type of abbreviation, even if the abbreviation takes longer to pronounce when spoken?

A similar question claimed that acronyms and synonyms are both two distinct terms, but does that mean that Google's definition of acronym is incorrect?

Stevoisiak
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  • I won't close the question, but this is a duplicate of https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/3755/difference-between-an-acronym-and-abbreviation EDIT: Snap, Edwin is on target. Also related: Can “sitcom” be considered an “acronym”? A Syllabic Acronym? Or a Hybrid Acronym? – Mari-Lou A Jul 11 '17 at 13:56
  • @Mari-LouA Am I missing something? – Edwin Ashworth Jul 11 '17 at 13:56
  • @EdwinAshworth not at all. I knew the question was doomed, but if I closed it as a duplicate, it will be immediate. I think the chap deserves a few hours. That's all. (Steven: I have that dupe hammer thing) – Mari-Lou A Jul 11 '17 at 13:59
  • @Mari-LouA Looking at the proposed duplicate, I suppose a more unique question could be "Is Google's definition of acronym incorrect?" – Stevoisiak Jul 11 '17 at 14:01
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    @Mari-LouA But this is so obvious a duplicate that it needs to be closed before someone ignores the flagging and answers anyway, flouting site recommendations. In a grey area, I'd applaud your restraint. – Edwin Ashworth Jul 11 '17 at 14:03
  • FumbleFingers has the same dupe hammer as me. Your question survived nine minutes... and it's a good question. But it's been asked before. shrugs @EdwinAshworth because the question is a duplicate, it will never be deleted, maybe a newer answer would have shed new light? You have here a question that showed research, and some careful thought. If the question had consisted of two lines, then I would not have hesitated to wield my special powers. EDIT: Thank you for the invite, but I have to leave now. – Mari-Lou A Jul 11 '17 at 14:03
  • @Mari-LouA I'm in the general ELA chat if you wanted to chat more about this question – Stevoisiak Jul 11 '17 at 14:03
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    Depending on whether you're talking about the written or the spoken form, you might or might not consider the "initialism" *www* to be an "abbreviation" (it's shorter to write than *world-wide web, but that latter form has less syllables and is thus shorter to say*). And I don't see how anything that's longer than the original can be called an abbreviation. – FumbleFingers Jul 11 '17 at 14:06
  • The problem is that different 'authorities' give different rulings. nohat's answer at the original thread gives one point of view (and not the one I normally subscribe to). I'm aware of five different 'definitions' for 'acronym'. Trying to sort out out which authority has precedence is of little value; one has to define terms before one uses a word which is ill-defined. – Edwin Ashworth Jul 11 '17 at 14:08
  • The question as redefined is now POB. – Edwin Ashworth Jul 11 '17 at 14:15
  • @EdwinAshworth POB? – Stevoisiak Jul 11 '17 at 14:16
  • 'Primarily opinion based'; either the questioner is asking for advice on whether to use 'scarletty' or 'crimsony' for a new shirt they've bought and posted a picture of, or (as here) the jury is demonstrably out on correct terminology etc. – Edwin Ashworth Jul 11 '17 at 14:22
  • @EdwinAshworth I've created a chatroom for extended discussion – Stevoisiak Jul 11 '17 at 14:25
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    @Hank: I'm not going to argue with the (cut-down, free) Oxford Dictionaries definition for *acronym, but their definition for initialism* is An abbreviation consisting of initial letters pronounced separately, which I don't accept as valid for all contexts (on account of the written/spoken distinction I made above). – FumbleFingers Jul 11 '17 at 15:07
  • ...note that the full subscription-only OED allows for at least some "wiggle room" on that point, since they define *initialism* as The use of initials; a significative group of initial letters. Now spec. a group of initial letters used as an abbreviation for a name or expression, each letter or part being pronounced separately. – FumbleFingers Jul 11 '17 at 15:08
  • @Hank You need to distinguish ODO (which you here link to and call OED) from OED; as FumbleFingers points out, they don't correspond exactly. And OED can on occasion be less helpful, as it is harder to update. – Edwin Ashworth Jul 11 '17 at 15:27
  • @EdwinAshworth I don't have access to The subscriber only OED so I was not aware of that difference. – Hank Jul 11 '17 at 15:30
  • @Hank It has been mentioned on ELU many times before; it's an important difference. – Edwin Ashworth Jul 11 '17 at 15:38
  • @EdwinAshworth I'm not disputing it's importance, just stating my lack of knowing. My apologies. – Hank Jul 11 '17 at 15:40
  • Eh, even with the edits I don't really see how this is differentiated from the other question. "despite being shorter to write, it takes longer to pronounce www (9 syllables) than world wide web (3 syllables). Are all acronyms a type of abbreviation, even if the abbreviation takes longer to pronounce when spoken?" seems to be overthinking it to me. Yes, "www" is a type of shortening (it's shorter in writing) and an abbreviation. (If you pronounce some other abbreviation unusually slowly, it would still be an abbreviation.) Google's definition being "incorrect" is a matter of opinion. – herisson Jul 11 '17 at 17:33

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