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    What is the difference between an acronym and an initialism?

    Question #123798. Asked by BaronBatty. (Oct 12 11 12:37 AM)


    Tizzabelle

    		http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acronym_and_initialism

    An acronym is a word such as "radar" which is made up of the initial letters of the words that form a phrase. An initialism is where the letters are merely spelt out such as "FBI" or "BBC".

    http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/initialism

    http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/initialism

    But other sources say that an initialism is an acronym:

    http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/initialism

    And from the same Wiki page as above..

    "...while some include a secondary indication of usage, attributing to acronym the same meaning as that of initialism."

    Oct 12 11, 1:04 AM

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