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>Date: Fri, 21 Jul 1995 01:06:46 -0700
>Reply-To: Richard Mateosian <srm -at- C2 -dot- ORG>
>Sender: "Technical Writers List; for all Technical Communication issues"
><TECHWR-L -at- VM1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu>
>From: Richard Mateosian <srm -at- C2 -dot- ORG>
>Subject: Broad definition of acronym
>Comments: To: TECHWR-L -at- VM1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu
>To: Multiple recipients of list TECHWR-L <TECHWR-L -at- VM1 -dot- ucc -dot- okstate -dot- edu>
The distinction usually is that an acronym forms a word people can pronouce
(like DASD), whereas an initialism forms a word that people cannot
pronounce (like IBM). Both acronyms and initialisms usually appear in
uppercase--that is until the language incorporates them as standard words
such as radar, laser, and snafu. --Marlana
>>According to American Heritage Dictionary, bit would be an ACRONYM, since
>>an acronym is "a word formed by the initial letters of a name or by
>>combining initial letters or parts of a series of words
>By this definition, "don't" is an acronym.
>Most acronyms are written all caps. Contractions like "don't" and "bit" are
>written lowercase. ...RM
