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
Months Without 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 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
States of a Country With 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 Addresses With a specific address: abbreviate directional end of street and “street,” “avenue,” or “boulevard” 215 W. Main St. 19 Sunset Blvd 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 titlePerson 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 Titles AbbreviationTitle 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 abbreviate unless 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 period for 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 once unless widely known
Consult Style Manuals for Complete 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 follow or ask your instructor Be consistent – follow the same rules for the same abbreviation situations throughout your paper