> > Initialisms are a subset of Acronyms - IOW: All Initialisms are
> > Acronyms since both stand for the initial letter(s) of a phrase
> > ("RAdio Detection And Ranging" and "Central Processing Unit"
> > respectively). The way the string is pronounced determines where an
> > Acronym is also an Initialism. The pronunciation does NOT prevent a
> > Initialism from being an Acronym.
>
> You have that backwards. Acronyms are a subset of initialisms; not
> all initialisms are acronyms.
That means that Merriam-Webster's Collegiate also has it wrong with their
entries of:
INITIALISM
: an *acronym* formed from initial letters
ACRONYM
: a word (as NATO, radar, or snafu) formed from the initial letter or
letters of each of the successive parts or major parts of a compound term
I'm not going to labor the point, but I stick with my original assertion
that initialisms are acronyms, but not all acronyms are initialisms.
____________________________________
Rob Emenecker @ Hairy Dog Digital
www.hairydogdigital.com
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