9 Everyday Words That Everybody Is Using Completely Wrong
8. Acronym
What People Think It Means: An abbreviation consisting of initial letters, pronounced separately. What It Actually Means: An abbreviation formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word. When someone refers to BBC as an acronym, theyre either wrong, or theyve been pronouncing it as buh-buhk their entire life, because acronyms are abbreviations that are pronounced as a full word. Correct examples of acronyms, then, include laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation), or sonar (Sound Navigation And Ranging). Abbreviations with each letter pronounced separately, such as BBC or FBI, are thus not technically acronyms (unless you go around saying fuh-bee, in which case, carry on). The proper term for an abbreviation like BBC is an initialism, which is a term so apparently underused that Microsoft Word just adorned it with a red, squiggly underline as I typed it, so its no wonder its got everyone confused.
Canadian student. Spends probably an unhealthy amount of time enthusing over musicals, unpopular TV shows, and Harry Potter. Main life goal: to become fluent in Elvish.
