An acronym is a word that's made up of the first letters of other words (usually). English speakers use acronyms a lot. You'll read and hear them everywhere – on the Internet, in business, in the government.
The examples below are acronyms that almost all English speakers know and
use commonly.
1.
"Q&A" (Question and answer)
A "Q&A" is a kind of interview. One person or many people ask
questions, and someone answers them.
Eg. Save your questions, and we'll have a Q&A at
the end of the presentation.
2.
"VIP" (Very Important Person)
A VIP is someone who's important. A VIP might be a well-known author at an
academic event, a celebrity at a night club, or a wealthy donor at a charity
event.
Here's something that you might read on a sign hanging near the entrance to
a room at a party:
Eg. Reserved for VIPs
3.
"3D" (3-dimensional)
Something that has height, width, and depth is "3D". Things that
are flat are "2D". So a square drawn on a piece of paper is 2D, but a
box is 3D.
If someone told you that they saw a recent action movie in a theater, you
could ask this:
Eg. Did you see it in 3D?
4.
"ID" (Identification)
Your "ID" is your identification. That might mean a document that
proves who you are, like a passport or driver's license:
Eg. Can I see your ID please?
Another kind of "ID" is a name that you create for yourself on a
website or computer program.
5.
"I.Q." (Intelligence quotient)
"I.Q." is a measurement of how smart someone is. The average I.Q.
is 100. If you have an I.Q. greater than 100, it means that you're smarter than
average.
Just because you have a high I.Q. doesn't necessarily
mean that you'll be successful in life.
6.
"RSVP" (Répondez s'il vous plaît)
Most English speakers know the phrase "RSVP" without knowing that
it comes from French. To "RSVP" means to confirm whether you will
attend a party. It's common to ask guests to RSVP to a wedding, for example.
Eg. Please RSVP by June 8th.
7.
"AKA" (Also known as)
Use "AKA" to introduce someone's nickname:
Eg. Allow me to introduce my friend Jack Monroe, AKA
"Poppa Jack".
You would especially use "AKA" to introduce people like boxers,
fighters, and T.V. characters.
8.
"DIY" (Do-it-yourself)
A "DIY" project is something that you do at home which people
usually buy or hire professionals for. Some examples of DIY projects include:
- Building your own furniture
- Brewing your own beer
- Renovating a room in your house
Eg. They're always taking on little DIY projects
around the house.
9.
"T.G.I.F." (Thank God it's Friday!)
People say and write "T.G.I.F." to celebrate the end of the work
week. It means that you're happy that the weekend is about to begin.
10.
"R.I.P."
(Rest in peace)
"Rest in peace" is something that you can say when someone has
died. The acronym "R.I.P." is even more common than saying or writing
"Rest in peace". You might see this in the comments under a news
story about a celebrity who just passed away.
Eg. R.I.P. Prince
11.
"BYOB" (Bring your own booze/beverage/beer)
If a party is "BYOB", it means that you're supposed to bring
drinks for yourself.
Eg. We're having a dinner party Saturday night
starting at 7. It's BYOB, but no need to bring any food.
12.
"KIT" (Keep in touch)
You can write "KIT" to someone who you're not going to see again
soon. For example, you can write this in a card for a coworker who's leaving to
start a new job.
Eg. We'll miss you! KIT
13.
"POV" (Point of view)
"POV" means "Point of view". This
phrase has several meanings.
- A person's "POV" can mean their opinion.
- In filmmaking, the "POV" means where the camera is placed.
- In literature, it means who is narrating a story.
Eg. Try to think about it from the POV of someone
who's trying to run a small business.
14.
"M.O." (Modus Operandi)
A person's "MO" is their particular
way of doing something. It's a technique or a pattern that's specific to that
person. When you talk about someone's "M.O.", you seem kind of
suspicious of them.
Eg. That's his M.O. – he offers money to businesses
that are struggling and then takes them over.
The phrase "modus operandi", which
"M.O." is short for, is from Latin.
15.
"A.D." (Anno Domini)
The Western calendar system counts years based on when
Jesus Christ is thought to have been born. That year is called "0",
and every year after that is marked as "A.D."
Eg. The Roman Republic was dissolved in the year 1453
A.D.
"A.D." comes from "Anno Domini",
which is Latin.
16.
"B.C." (Before Christ)
In the Western calendar system, years before
year 0 are marked as "B.C."
Eg. Experts believe that thet pyramids at Giza were
build in about 2500 B.C.