Abbreviations

Adapted by Linda Neuman

Abbreviations are…

• a shortened form of a word or phrase

• often necessary for ease of reading

• not always appropriate to use

MonthsWithout a specific date: do not abbreviate

The general election is held in November.In May 1994 we headed off for India.

With a date: abbreviate if month name has more than five letters

Feb. 5, 2009 April 13, 1956

Days: do not abbreviate

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFridaySaturdaySunday

States of a CountryWith no city name preceding it: do not abbreviate

He was born in Michigan.They moved from Bihar to Gujarat.

With city name preceding it: abbreviate if state name has more than six letters

She took a job in Chico, Calif.He loved Austin, Texas because it held fond memories.

Streets and AddressesWith a specific address: abbreviate directional end of street and “street,” “avenue,” or “boulevard”

215 W. Main St. 19 Sunset Blvd. 6423 Chase Ave.

Without a specific address: do not abbreviate

Tia lives on Fleet Street.Go to Hollywood Avenue for the best Chinese food.

As a general rule, do not abbreviate the following street types:

• Road• Circle• Court• Drive

Names and Titles

Abbreviated title Person being addressed or referred to

Mr. single or married man who uses no other titles

Mrs. married woman who uses no other titles

Ms. single or married woman who uses no other titles

Dr. single or married woman or man who is a medical doctor or has earned a doctoral degree

Other TitlesAbbreviation Title

Gov. Governor

Lt. Gov. Lieutenant Governor

Rep. Representative

Sen. Senator

Use title abbreviations for full name only

Sen. Jane Stafford Senator Stafford

As a general rule, do not abbreviate the following titles:

• President• Chairman/Chairperson• Principal• Superintendent

Acronyms of Organizations

First letter of all important words capitalized, with no punctuation

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization )FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)

If organization is only mentioned once, do not abbreviateunless organization is widely known

Specific Time of Day

Use periods to abbreviate

10:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.

Do not use a double periodfor sentences ending in time (or other abbreviation)

I left the party at about 6:45 p.m. My friends stayed later.

Common Abbreviations Without Periods

• mpg (miles per gallon)• HTML (HyperText Markup Language)• pps (pounds per square inch)

As a general rule, do not abbreviate if only mentioned onceunless widely known

Consult Style Manuals forComplete Abbreviation Listings

• Chicago Manual of Style• AP (Associated Press) Stylebook• APA (American Psychological Association)• MLA (Modern Languages Association)

Abbreviation rules for all styles are easily found online

Choose one style guide to followor ask your instructor

Be consistent – follow the same rulesfor the same abbreviation situations

throughout your paper