What is an initialism?
An initialism is a type of abbreviation. (1)
An initialism is formed from the first letters of a group of words. (1)
Each letter is pronounced individually. (1)
What are examples of some initialisms?
FBI – Federal Bureau of Investigation – NOT fbi (1)
asap – as soon as possible (1)
cd – compact disc (1)
CEO – Chief Executive Officer (1)
faq – frequently asked questions (1)
plc – public limited company (1)
fuo – unidentified flying object (1)
USA – United States of America (1)
vat – value added tax (1)
How to know when the initialism is capitalized
If the first letters of the full form are capital letters, then the abbreviation is written with capital letters. (1) For the others that are not in capital letters, both forms are acceptable. (1)
In American English, it is a matter of style. (1) FBI or F.B.I. Either can be used. (1)
In British English, full stops (aka periods) are not usually used between each letter. (1)
FBI
F.B.I is not used much. (1)
Resources
1. https://www.crownacademyenglish.com/types-english-abbreviations/
