--> Shortened Words: A Guide to Their Usage and Types | Knowledge World

Shortened Words: A Guide to Their Usage and Types

In everyday language, we often encounter shortened words —words that are abbreviated for ease of communication. These shortened forms help s...

In everyday language, we often encounter shortened words—words that are abbreviated for ease of communication. These shortened forms help simplify language, save time, and make writing more concise. While they are commonly used in casual speech and writing, understanding the different types of shortened words and their appropriate use is important for clarity and accuracy.

What Are Shortened Words?

Shortened words are words that have been reduced in length, often by removing syllables or letters. This can occur in several ways: through abbreviations, contractions, or initialisms. These forms are used to save space or time, especially in informal communication, but can also be found in formal writing when appropriate.

Types of Shortened Words

  1. Abbreviations: Abbreviations are shortened forms of words or phrases that still retain their full meaning. They can be a few letters long or represent an entire phrase. Some examples include:

    • TV – Television
    • Dr. – Doctor
    • Inc. – Incorporated
    • Ave. – Avenue
    • etc. – Et cetera

    Abbreviations are commonly used in both formal and informal writing, especially when space is limited or when the term is widely recognized.

  2. Contractions: A contraction is a shortened form of a word or phrase in which one or more letters have been omitted and replaced by an apostrophe. Contractions are particularly common in informal speech and writing. Examples include:

    • I'm – I am
    • can't – cannot
    • they're – they are
    • won't – will not
    • it's – it is or it has

    Contractions make speech and writing flow more naturally but are typically avoided in formal writing, such as academic papers or business communications.

  3. Initialisms and Acronyms:

    • Initialisms: These are abbreviations formed from the initial letters of a phrase, where each letter is pronounced individually.

      • FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation
      • ATM – Automated Teller Machine
      • CEO – Chief Executive Officer
    • Acronyms: Acronyms are formed in a similar way but are pronounced as a single word rather than letter by letter.

      • NASA – National Aeronautics and Space Administration
      • scuba – Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
      • laser – Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation
  4. Clippings: Clipping refers to shortening a word by removing parts of it, usually the end or the beginning. This is common in informal speech. For example:

    • phone from telephone
    • gym from gymnasium
    • ad from advertisement
    • info from information

    Clippings are more commonly used in casual speech and writing, and they are often part of slang.

  5. Portmanteau Words: A portmanteau word is created by combining parts of two (or more) words to form a new one. These shortened words are often used in everyday conversation and in marketing. Examples include:

    • brunch (breakfast + lunch)
    • smog (smoke + fog)
    • motel (motor + hotel)
    • blog (web + log)

    Portmanteaus are particularly popular in modern language and culture and are frequently used in brand names or new concepts.

Why Are Shortened Words Used?

  • Efficiency: Shortened words save time and space, making communication quicker and easier.
  • Informality: They are often used in informal speech and writing, where brevity is appreciated.
  • Ease of Understanding: Familiar abbreviations or contractions are easier to understand, especially when the full term is well-known and widely used.
  • Creativity: In some cases, shortened words (such as portmanteaus) reflect creativity and a modern approach to language.

When to Avoid Shortened Words

While shortened words are helpful in many contexts, there are times when they should be avoided:

  • Formal Writing: In academic papers, professional correspondence, and legal documents, using the full form of words is often required. Avoid contractions, abbreviations, and slang unless specifically instructed to use them.
  • Clarity: If your audience is not familiar with the shortened word or abbreviation, it may cause confusion. In such cases, it’s better to use the full term and introduce the shortened version only once it has been defined.

Conclusion

Shortened words, whether through abbreviations, contractions, or acronyms, are a natural part of language that help make communication faster and more efficient. Understanding the different types of shortened words and knowing when and how to use them can improve both your writing and speech. While they add convenience, always consider the context, formality, and clarity to ensure your message is clear and effective.

COMMENTS

Ads - Federal Holidays Bank Info Unlock Code Samsung Reset CodeLink World Answers Mode IT Info World
Name

Abbreviation,34,ABC of Education,23,Admission,1,Art and Culture,1,Bangla,9,Bangla 2nd Part,1,Bangla Moral Story,1,Bangla Poem,12,Bangla Story,2,BCS Question Bank,2,best Friend quotes,1,Best friendship quote's for best friend,1,Biography,5,Biology,31,Birthday Quotes,1,Books,1,Chemistry,1,chrismas quotes,1,christmas day,3,Christmas days greetings,3,Christmas quotes,1,Christmas Quotes,2,Common Mistakes in English,2,companion,1,Composition,2,Cute Quotes,1,cute relationship quotes,2,cute romantic quotes for him,1,Daily Blog Tips,16,Daily Writing Tips,12,Definition,20,Domain - Hosting,5,eBook,1,Education News,15,English Essay Writing,3,English Grammar,38,English Letter Writing,1,English Paragraph Writing,2,English Report Writing,1,English Vocabulary,2,English Word Meaning,3,Ethics,2,Exam Preparation BD,2,Famous Christmas Quotes,1,Famous Friendship quotes,2,Famous Funny Christmas Quotes,1,Famous Funny Love Quotes,3,famous funny quotes,3,Famous Short Funny Love Quotes,3,Favorite quotes on Love and Romance,1,friend quotes,2,friendship,1,friendship quotes,4,Friendship Quotes,3,friendship quotes of Albert Camus,1,Friendship Quotes of Aristotle,1,Friendship quotes of Euripides,1,funny chrismas quotes,1,funny Christmas quotes,2,funny friendship quotes,3,Funny Love Quotes,3,funny movie quotes,3,Funny Quotes,6,funny quotes and sayings,3,General Knowledge,4,general knowledge and answers,3,general knowledge on invention for admission test,3,general knowledge on invention for bcs,3,General Knowledge on The Eye,2,General Knowledge on The Human Body,19,General Knowledge on World or Universe,1,general knowledge questions and answer,1,general knowledge quiz question,3,general knowledge quiz question with answer gk on invention,3,General Knowledge Quiz Questions with Answers,31,GK om The Mouth,1,GK on About The Bones,5,GK on About The Eare,1,GK on About The Eye,2,GK on About The Nose,1,GK on About the use of Tobacco,1,GK on Biology,3,GK on Famous Explorers,3,GK on International Organizations,1,GK on Inventions and Discoveries,1,GK on Limbs and Joints of Human Body,1,GK on The lungs and respiration,2,GK on The Digestive Organs and Digestion,2,GK on the medical discoveries,2,GK on The Muscles,1,GK on The Nervous System,2,GK on The skin,1,GK on united nation organization,1,GK on United Nations,1,GK on World or Universe,1,Guest Post,11,Health Insurance Quotes,1,History,5,History of USA,2,How to,3,Idioms and Phrases,1,IELTS,1,Inspirational Quotes,2,Insurance Quotes,1,International Headquarters,2,International Organizations,2,International Organizations and their Headquarters,2,Inventions and Discoveries,4,Isaac Newton,1,Islamic Bangla Story,1,Islamic Life,5,Islamic Life Bangla,1,Job News,1,Kazi Nazrul Islam,11,Knowledge,1,Knowledge World,3,Learn English,6,learn general knowledge online,3,Learning Quran,6,long distance relationship quotes,2,love,2,Love amp; Romantic Quotes,7,Love and Romantic Quotes,1,Love Quotes,6,love quotes for him,2,love quotes for wife,1,Love quotes of Henri Nouwen,1,Moral Stories,1,Most famous romantic love Quotes,1,Most Favourite Love and Romantic Quotes,1,Most romantic love quotes,1,Most romantic love quotes for wife or girlfriend of Aristotle,1,Moulana Tariq Jameel,1,Muhammad (SAW),3,National Anthem Collection,1,New Words,2,online gk,3,Organizations and their Headquarters,2,Organizations Headquarters,2,philosophy,3,Physical Education,6,Proverbs,1,Quotes,8,quotes about relationships,2,real relationship quotes,2,relationship quotes,2,Romantic love quotes,3,romantic love quotes for girlfriend,1,romantic love quotes for him,2,romantic Love quotes for sweet heart,1,romantic love quotes for wife amp; girlfriend,1,romantic love quotes for wife or girlfriend,2,Romantic Quoted,1,romantic quotes,2,Romantic Quotes of Henri Nouwen,1,Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay,1,Scholarship,2,School,1,Science,7,Scientist,1,second existence,1,Sentence,1,SEO,5,short friendship quotes for best friends forever,1,short funny love quotes,6,Short Funny Quotes,3,Short Love Quotes,3,Spelling Skills,1,Sports Knowledge,12,SSC Result,1,Story,1,Summary Writing in English,1,Synonyms and Antonyms,2,Technology,10,Tense,4,Top friendship quotes,1,top funny chrismas quotes,1,Top Funny Christmas Quotes,2,Top Love Quotes,1,Top Romantics Quotes,1,University,13,Verb,1,Video,3,Vocabulary,7,W.B. Yeats romantic love quotes,1,Website,10,William Butler Yeats quotes,1,Word Meaning,10,WordPress,11,World History,1,Writing Skills,6,ইসলামী জীবন বিধান,2,গণিত,3,প্রযুক্তি,1,
ltr
item
Knowledge World: Shortened Words: A Guide to Their Usage and Types
Shortened Words: A Guide to Their Usage and Types
Knowledge World
https://www.knowledgeworldbd.com/2025/01/shortened-words.html
https://www.knowledgeworldbd.com/
https://www.knowledgeworldbd.com/
https://www.knowledgeworldbd.com/2025/01/shortened-words.html
true
2108423075531647583
UTF-8
Loaded All Posts Not found any posts VIEW ALL Readmore Reply Cancel reply Delete By Home PAGES POSTS View All RECOMMENDED FOR YOU LABEL ARCHIVE SEARCH ALL POSTS Not found any post match with your request Back Home Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat January February March April May June July August September October November December Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec just now 1 minute ago $$1$$ minutes ago 1 hour ago $$1$$ hours ago Yesterday $$1$$ days ago $$1$$ weeks ago more than 5 weeks ago Followers Follow THIS PREMIUM CONTENT IS LOCKED STEP 1: Share to a social network STEP 2: Click the link on your social network Copy All Code Select All Code All codes were copied to your clipboard Can not copy the codes / texts, please press [CTRL]+[C] (or CMD+C with Mac) to copy Table of Content