Initialism
An abbreviation formed from the initial letters of words, pronounced letter-by-letter rather than as a single word, such as 'FBI' or 'BBC'.
Real World
The initialism 'NHS' is so embedded in British culture that politicians use it as a single rhetorical unit in speeches, yet it still requires letter-by-letter pronunciation unlike the acronym 'NASA'.
Exam Focus
Distinguish clearly between initialisms (letter-by-letter) and acronyms (pronounced as words) to avoid losing marks.
How well did you know this?