Similarly, a single long word is sometimes abbreviated with the initial letters of component parts of the word.

Phrases are typically abbreviated by using the first letters or initial portions of each word or each important word, usually without any periods. is an abbreviation for France, while Fr (no period) is the abbreviation for Father (as the title for a priest). or assn (without the period) likewise, Fr. For example, in British writing the word association might be abbreviated as either assoc. for association ), whereas in British English the period is typically omitted if the abbreviation includes the last letter of the word. The usual practice in American English is to use a period to end any abbreviation that stands for a single word (for example, assoc. ) and titles or names of organizations ( NCAA, UNESCO ), government bodies ( SCOTUS, EPA ), and states and cities ( Pa., NYC ). ) units of time and measurement ( min., ft. Many abbreviations have become standard, including abbreviations for days of the week ( Mon., Tues.

Even with the invention of the printing press, cost remained important, and printers looked for ways to save space without diluting the message. The cost of materials like parchment, paper, and ink was another major impetus to shorten words and phrases. Abbreviations may be nearly as old as writing itself they allow a writer to save time, space, and effort.

= Senior ), or the most significant letters ( TNT = trinitrotoluene Pvt. = adjective ), the first letter and the last letter ( hr. Abbreviations of single words are typically formed using the first letter or letters of the word ( n. Abbreviation is the most widely used term for a shortened or contracted form of a word or phrase.

How to find the abbreviations for words