Sunday, December 16, 2007

Writing for Style: Acronym Redundancies

As you know, an acronym is a word formed from the initial letters or groups of letters of words in a set phrase or series of words, as OPEC for Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or loran for long-range navigation.

It is becoming more common, however, to use the whole acronym as a proper noun while repeating one of the letters as a common noun. This gives us redundancies such as the following:

ABS System. ABS stands for antilock braking system. Therefore, ABS system literally means antilock braking system system.

ATM machine. ATM stands for automatic teller machine. ATM machine literally means automatic teller machine machine.

DVD Disk. DVD means digital video disk. Therefore, DVD disk means digital video disk disk.

EMS Service. EMS stands for emergency medical service, so EMS service literally means emergency medical service service.

Estimated ETA.
ETA stands for estimated time of arrival. Therefore, estimated ETA literally means estimated estimated time of arrival.

GPS system. GPS stands for global positioning system. Therefore, GPS system literally means global positioning system system.

HIV virus. According to Dictionary.Com, HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Therefore, HIV virus is a redundancy.

ISBN number. ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. Therefore, ISBN number is redundant.

PIN number. PIN stands for personal identification number. So PIN number literally means personal identification number number.

Please RSVP. RSVP is an acronym for a French phrase Repondez S'il Vous Plait, which means respond if you please. Therefore, please RSVP is redundant.

SAT tests. SAT stands for Scholastic Aptitude Tests and Scholastic Assessment Tests. So SAT tests literally means scholastic aptitude/assessment tests tests.

VHF Frequency. The F stands for frequency, so stating VHF frequency is like saying very high frequency frequency. The same applies to UHF Frequency.

VIN number. VIN stands for vehicle identification number. VIN number literally means vehicle identification number number.

Fun, but maybe not something to get too caught up about because these redundancies are pretty much out of control. Avoid them in your writing, but resist the temptation to correct others when they say them.

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