Summary
In-depth Explanation
Abbreviations shorten a single word or phrase by cutting out letters. They are often used in informal writing as well as in specific situations such as addresses and recipes.
Titles
Many formal titles can be abbreviated. These abbreviations go before a person’s name:
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Mr. – Mister
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Mrs. – Used for married women
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Dr. – Doctor
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Prof. – Professor
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Rev. – Reverend
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St. – Saint
These title abbreviations go after someone’s name:
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Sr. – Senior
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Jr. – Junior
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PhD – Doctor of Philosophy
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MD – Doctor of Medicine
Here are a couple of examples of how to use these abbreviations:
I have an appointment with Dr. Smith.
His full name is Nicolas David Walters, Jr.
Days and Months
All days of the week can be abbreviated (with or without a period):
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Mon. – Monday
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Tue. – Tuesday
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Wed. – Wednesday
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Thu. – Thursday
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Fri. – Friday
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Sat. – Saturday
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Sun. – Sunday
Months that are longer than four letters are often abbreviated as well:
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Jan. – January
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Feb. – February
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Mar. – March
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Apr. – April
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Sept. – September
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Oct. – October
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Nov. – November
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Dec. – December
Here is an example of how these abbreviations might be used in informal writting:
The date is Nov. 23rd, 2023.
Classes are held Mon. – Fri.
Measurements
Abbreviations are often used in measuring units, whether for time, distance, weight or volume. Here are some common examples:
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min(s) – minute(s)
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hr(s) – hour(s)
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tsp – teaspoon(s)
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oz – ounce(s)
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gal – gallon(s)
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ml – milliliter(s)
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g – gram(s)
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kg – kilogram(s)
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lb – pound(s)
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ft – foot/feet
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in – inch(es)
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mi – mile(s)
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m – meter(s)
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cm – centimeter(s)
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km – kilometer(s)
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mph – miles per hour
For example:
Add 2 tsp sugar to 10 ml water.
The speed limit is 65 mph.
Addresses
Here are some abbreviations we use when writing addresses. You may see these abbreviations with or without a period.
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St – Street
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Ave – Avenue
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Rd – Road
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Blvd – Boulevard
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Dr – Drive
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Ln – Lane
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Ct – Court
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Pl – Place
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Hwy – Highway
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Apt – Apartment
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Ste – Suite
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Fl – Floor
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Bldg – Building
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PO Box – Post Office Box
We also use abbreviations for states. For example:
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AZ – Arizona
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CA – California
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CO – Colorado
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IL – Illinois
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MI – Michigan
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NV – Nevada
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NY – New York
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TX – Texas
Some addresses use directionals, and we have abbreviations for those, too:
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N – North
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S – South
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E – East
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W – West
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NE – Northeast
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NW – Northwest
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SE – Southeast
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SW – Southwest
Here is an example address using these abbreviations:
367 Maple St.
Apt. 12
Springfield, NV 65742
Common Phrases
Some abbreviations are used for Latin phrases that are frequently borrowed in English.
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e.g. – exempli gratia (means “for example” in Latin)
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etc. – et cetera (means “and other similar things” in Latin)
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i.e. – id est (means “that is” in Latin)
For example:
You can visit many famous cities in Europe, e.g., Paris, Rome and Berlin.
We’re going to visit museums, explore historical sites, eat local food, etc.
I love tropical fruits, i.e., fruits like mangoes, pineapples and bananas.
Other Common Abbreviations
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p / pp – page / pages
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vs – versus
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ad – advertisement
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app – application
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decaf – decaffeinated
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exam – examination
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memo – memorandum
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no. – number
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approx. – approximately
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photo – photograph
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rhino – rhinoceros
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hippo – hippopotamus