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Abbreviations and Acronyms

Most acronyms are written in all capital letters without periods or spaces. Examples:

  • SPIE

  • MIT

  • UNESCO

 

All units of measurement are abbreviated without periods. Examples: 

  • GB

  • nm

  • cm

 

All academic degrees are expressed as acronyms without periods. Examples:

  • BS

  • BEng

  • MS

  • PhD

  

These 10 abbreviations are often used in printed matter when space is a factor, periods are included for all except GmbH:

  • Co.

  • Corp.

  • Ctr.

  • Dept.

  • Div.

  • GmbH

  • Inc.

  • Lab.

  • Ltd.

  • Univ.

States and Countries

We tend to note an organization's or individual's country rather than state or province, but if we do mention the state, we spell it out and do not use standard state and province abbreviations. The exception is in an address or on social media.

 

We mostly spell out the name of countries as well. In web copy we should try to use United States unless space is at a premium then USA or US.

 

US, without periods, is the correct descriptor as in "US Army." Washington, DC, follows the same guidelines and does not use periods. 

Usage Notes

Do not start a sentence with an abbreviation, a numeral, or a symbol. It is OK to start a sentence with an acronym or an initialism unless an article is required.

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Pluralize acronyms by adding a lowercase “s.” Do not add an apostrophe unless it is showing possession.

 

If there is a chance your reader won’t recognize an abbreviation or acronym, spell it out the first time you mention it and follow with the abbreviation or acronym in parentheses. Then use the short version for all other references.

First use: University of Canterbury (UC)

Second use: UC

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