Which statement about acronym and initialism best distinguishes them?

Which statement about acronym and initialism best distinguishes them?

• A. An acronym is pronounced by saying the letters (BBC).
• B. A word that shortens a longer word.
• C. A word changes class without affixes.
• D. An acronym is pronounced as a word (NATO).

Answer: (D)

The key idea is how they are spoken. Acronyms are pronounced as a single word, while initialisms are spoken letter by letter. NATO is commonly said as a word, so it’s an acronym. BBC is spoken by stating the letters, which makes it an initialism. The other statements don’t address pronunciation in the same way, so they don’t capture the distinction.

The key idea is how they are spoken. Acronyms are pronounced as a single word, while initialisms are spoken letter by letter. NATO is commonly said as a word, so it’s an acronym. BBC is spoken by stating the letters, which makes it an initialism. The other statements don’t address pronunciation in the same way, so they don’t capture the distinction.