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The English language is filled with abbreviations and acronyms used in order to save time and space. Nowadays, they are even more popular with the continuous use of mobile phones and tablets.
An abbreviation is a shortened word that sometimes ends with a period. For example, “hr.” is the abbreviation of hour.
An acronym is the first letter of each word in a phrase. For example, “ASAP” is the acronym of “As soon as possible”.
Below, we have compiled a list of the most commonly used ones to help you recognize and use them more easily:
| a.m. | ante meridiem- before midday | antes del mediodía |
| a/c | air conditioning/ account (British) | aire acondicionado/cuenta |
| acct. | account (American) | cuenta (americano) |
| AD | Anno domini (latin)= in the year of the lord | año de Cristo |
| approx. | approximately | aproximadamente |
| appt. | appointment | cita |
| apt. | apartment | apartamento |
| ASAP | as soon as possible | tan rápido como sea posible |
| AKA | also known as | también conocido como |
| BA | Bachelor of Arts/ British Airways | Licenciatura en letras/ British Airways |
| Cc | carbon copy | copia a |
| B&B or B+B | Bed and breakfast | cama y desayuno |
| BC | before Christ | antes de Cristo |
| BCE | Before common era | antes del era común |
| b.o. | body odor | olor corporal |
| BYOB | Bring your own bottle | trae tu propia botella |
| CV | curriculum vitae | curriculum vitae |
| DIY | do it yourself | hacerlo ti mismo |
| Dr. | doctor | doctor |
| Etc. | etcetera | etcétera |
| e.g./ex. | example | ejemplo |
| FAQ | frequently asked question | preguntas frecuentes |
| Ft. | feet (= 30,48 cm) | pie (= 30,48 cm) |
| gal | gallon (=3,79 liters) | galón (=3,79 liters) |
| GPS | Global positioning system | Sistema de posicionamiento global |
| hr. | hour | hora |
| i.e. | that is | es decir |
| lb. | pound (=453,59 grams) | libra (=453,59 grams) |
| MA | Master of Arts | Master en letras |
| MBA | Master of Business Administration | Master en administración de empresas |
| min. | minute/ minimum | minuto/mínimo |
| Mph | miles per hour | millas por hora |
| Mr. | mister | señor |
| Mrs. | missus | señora |
| Ms. | miss | señorita |
| Mt. | mount or mountain | montaña |
| p.m. | post meridiem= after noon | después del mediodía |
| PE | physical education | educación física |
| PS | postscript | posdata |
| RSVP | Répondez, s’il vous plait (French)= please reply | confirmar asistencia por favor |
| sq. mts. | square meters | metros cuadrados |
| tbsp | tablespoon | cucharada |
| tsp | teaspoon | cucharita |
| temp. | temporary/ temperature | temporal/temperatura |
| vet. | veteran/ veterinarian | veterano/veterinario |
| vs. | versus | contra |
| yd. | yard (=,91 meter) | yarda |