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I really hate the out of control use of acronyms and abbreviations. In these days of instant messaging and chat rooms, acronyms and abbreviations are becoming all too common.

They’re not just annoying, but slow to read and awkward to say (do we say the letters, like in BBS, or pronounce it like a word, as in AIDS). There are plenty of people who agree with me. A great deal of writers, professors, language purists and old prudes like me (I’m not yet 30 if you’re checking) can’t stand them. I would link to them, but most of the blogs and comments I’ve seen are maybe, er, not appropriate (very strong language).

What makes it even worse is that many people learning English adopt acronyms and abbreviations quite quickly. I’m not sure why. I’ve had students use them in class and I didn’t know what they were saying. The students would give me a confused look like - “how can you not know this?”. Then I had to explain what they’re using is often slang or jargon. These students, who have a vocabualry about 1/20th the size of mine, are using this stuff. Often it’s from work - they have jobs where acronyms or abbreviations are often used in the workplace or that particular field of business. But the rest of the English speaking world doesn’t know them or use them.

Let’s get this straight. Acronyms and abbreviations do not make you sound intelligent, and they are not, in general, much faster to say. I can see how it makes sense to use them in writing sometimes, but only if they’re high-use, well-known ones that your readers will know. There’s nothing more frustrating than not understanding a piece of text or what someone is saying because they use too many acronyms and abbreviations.

I admit, I use them here at EnglishPod - we have our own little language of acronyms and abbreviations - but I wouldn’t use them with outsiders because I wouldn’t expect them to be understood. So to everyone out there, please limit their use - make yourself clear, stop the confusion.

For all those who need help understanding acronyms and abbreviations, go here to find out what possible meanings they might have.