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Abbreviations and acronyms are useful tricks in communication. They occur in every language and certainly also in English. Whether you’re writing an email or typing quickly on your smartphone, short words or expressions make life easier – and more fun!

According to abbreviationfinder, abbreviations are simply the result of word abbreviations (eg about instead of about) and are easy to understand, but acronyms can be a bit confusing and less intuitive. They consist of the first letter of each word in a sentence and are often capitalized, creating a new expression – LOL, for example, is an acronym for Laughing Out Loud.

English acronyms can be used in both formal and informal contexts; so it is absolutely necessary for English speakers to at least recognize and understand them. And of course, if you want to use them yourself, it helps to write a little bit faster – you’ll sound accomplished right away! Here are 10 very common English acronyms you should know:

1. BRB

BRB is really something you can say in any context, but this acronym is mainly used in conversations with friends. WhatsApp back and forth with your buddy and your father suddenly have to speak to you? Don’t worry, let your friend know: BRB.

2. ASAP

This one might freak you out if it’s in an email from your boss. When you read “can you finish this ASAP?” well, then get to work quickly, because your deadline is As Soon As Possible – a little euphemism for “now” or even “last Thursday”!

3. RSVP

You’ll find these on many meeting invitations, from weddings and parties to office gatherings and meetings. As with many English expressions, this comes from French and stands for Répondez s’il vous plait – it’s simply a request to respond and either confirm or cancel your presence.

4. TB/TBD

The same invitation where you were asked for an RSVP can say that the meeting is To Be Confirmed, so you don’t have to book your taxi yet! For example, topics can also be mentioned in the minutes of a meeting: To Be Discussed.

5. ETA

ETA is actually a very common acronym in the transportation world. It refers to an Estimated Time of Arrival. However, feel free to use it if you want to specify what time you will be somewhere (“Yes, I know we’re meeting at 6 PM, but I’m afraid my new ETA is going to be 7 PM…”)

6. DOB

This acronym is really strange. It sounds like an alien’s name or like a kid-friendly expression for “poo.” Unfortunately, it’s less entertaining – DOB stands for Date Of Birth and you’ll usually find it on forms that require you to enter personal information.

7. IMO

Who doesn’t have a few opinions that should definitely be shared with others? This will let you know quickly! In My Opinion precedes such an opinion, or the even more polite IMHO which stands for In My Humble Opinion.

8. AKA

This acronym can be especially useful if you like to give nicknames – The Boss, aka ‘my mother’”. Also known as comes in handy if you’re being a little cheeky, for example: “To the customer for the smartest person here, aka ‘Me’”.

9. DIY

If you are such a handyman and like to repair electricity or redecorate your house yourself instead of using a company, know that you are a Do It Yourself person.

10. FOMO

Picture it for a second: it’s Friday and your friends are going out for a night, but you’re tired and you really don’t want to be late. So you’re thinking about not going. And then it starts to itch, because afterwards you might regret that you missed this legendary outing. Exactly this feeling is FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out.

ABN – Aseptic Bone Necrosis Acute Urinary Retention – AUR AHT – Arterial Hypertension AMGS – Abnormal Mammary Gland Secretion BHD – Birt-Hogg-Dube Syndrome Bottleneck CBD – Corticobasal Degeneration CHILD – congenital hemidysplasia with ichthyosiform erythroderma and limb defects CIO – Chief Information Officer CML – Chronic Myeloid Leukemia CPU – Central Processing Unit Criminalistics Crossword Cuneiform CUP Syndrome – Cancer of Unknown Primary D – Decolonization DARPA – Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency Decadence Deference Deity DOM – Document Object Model DORV – Double Outlet Right Ventricle EC – Electronic Configuration EHH – Esophageal Hiatal Hernia FDDI – Fiber Distributed Data Interface HC – Hypertensive Crisis HMS – Haim-Munk Syndrome ICB – Intracerebral Hemorrhage ICJ – International Court of Justice IEEE – Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers JBS – Johanson Blizzard Syndrome JMML – Juvenile Myelomonocyte Leukemia KRS – Cardiorenal Syndrome KS – Korsakoff Syndrome KS – Kostmann Syndrome LED – Light-emitting Diode

LMS – Limb Mammary Syndrome LN – League of Nations LS – Lichen Sclerosus AIDA BCG Matrix Breeze BRICS Broadcast Bromatology Bronchiolitis Bronchitis Browser Drink Face GAP KPI Online Marketing Outbreak SEO SWOT USP Vigor Witchcraft MLB – Major League Baseball MMND – Motor Neuron Disease Madras NCAA – National Collegiate Athletic Association OAS – Organization of American States PL – Procedural Law PNG – Portable Network Graphics QC – Quality Control RNA – Ribonucleic Acid SFP – Short Film Project UNCTAD – United Nations Conference on Trade and Development UTC – Universal Time Coordinated VC – Venture Capital WC – Working Condition

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