The English language is filled with abbreviations and acronyms used in order to save time and space. Nowadays they are even more
popular with the use of mobile phones and tablets. An abbreviation is a shortened word that sometimes ends with a period. For example hr. is the abbreviation of hour. An acronym is the first letter of each word in a phrase. ASAP is the acronym of As soon as possible. Below we have compiled a list of the most commonly used ones to help you recognize and use them more easily:
| a.m. | ante meridiem- before midday |
| a/c | air conditioning/ account (British) |
| acct. | account (American) |
| AD | Anno domini (latin)= in the year of the lord |
| approx. | approximately |
| appt. | appointment |
| apt. | apartment |
| ASAP | as soon as possible |
| AKA | also known as |
| BA | Bachelor of Arts/ British Airways |
| Cc | carbon copy |
| B&B or B+B | bed and breakfast |
| BC | before Christ |
| BCE | before common era |
| b.o. | body odor |
| BYOB | bring your own bottle |
| CV | curriculum vitae |
| DIY | do it yourself |
| Dr. | doctor |
| Etc. | etcetera |
| e.g./ex. | example |
| FAQ | frequently asked question |
| ft. | feet (= 30,48 cm) |
| gal | gallon (=3,79 liters) |
| GPS | global positioning service |
| hr. | hour |
| i.e. | that is |
| lb. | pound (=453,59 grams) |
| MA | Master of Arts |
| MBA | Master of Business Administration |
| min. | minute/ minimum |
| Mph | miles per hour |
| Mr. | mister |
| Mrs. | missus |
| Ms. | miss |
| Mt. | mount or mountain |
| p.m. | post meridiem= after noon |
| PE | physical education |
| PS | postscript |
| RSVP | répondez, s’il vous plait (French)= please reply |
| sq. mts. | square meters |
| tbsp | tablespoon |
| tsp | teaspoon |
| temp. | temporary/ temperature |
| vet. | veteran/ veterinarian |
| vs. | versus |
| yd. | yard (=,91 meter) |