Vocabulary

Shortened Words

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A2 B1 B2 ESP Real Life

In everyday speech and writing, we often use shortened words. These words are made shorter for convenience, clarity, and speed. Understanding and using shortened words can make your English sound more natural and fluent.

In this lesson, we will cover common types of shortened words:

Types of Shortened Words

Shortened Words
Shortened Words – Created by 7ESL

Contractions

A contraction is created by combining two words and omitting some letters. An apostrophe (’) shows where letters were omitted.

Common Contractions:

  • I’m (I am)
    I’m going to school now.
  • He’s (He is)
    He’s happy today.
  • She’s (She is)
    She’s my friend.
  • They’re (They are)
    They’re from Canada.
  • Don’t (Do not)
    I don’t like fish.
  • Can’t (Cannot)
    I can’t swim.
  • Haven’t (Have not)
    We haven’t finished yet.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations are shortened forms of words or phrases, usually used in writing.

Common Abbreviations:

  • Dr. (Doctor)
    I visited Dr. Smith yesterday.
  • Mr. (Mister)
    Did you talk to Mr. Adams?
  • Mrs. (Mistress — married woman)
    Mrs. Brown is my English teacher.
  • St. (Saint or Street)
    They live on Main St.
  • Min. (Minute) Give me just one min. please.

Informal Shortened Words

These short forms are common in casual conversation and texts. They are informal and not used frequently in formal writings.

Examples include:

  • Info (Information)
    Can you give me more info?
  • Photo (Photograph)
    This is my favorite photo.
  • App (Application)
    I downloaded a new app.
  • Ad (Advertisement)
    Did you see the new ad on TV?
  • Meds (Medications)
    He forgot his meds this morning.

Acronyms and Initialisms

Acronyms are formed from the first letters of words. Acronyms are spoken as words, while initialisms are spoken as individual letters.

Examples of Acronyms:

  • NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
    She wants to work at NASA.
  • AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
    Doctors help people living with AIDS.

Examples of Initialisms:

  • ATM (Automated Teller Machine)
    I need to find an ATM.
  • USA (United States of America)
    He lives in the USA.

Remember:

  • Contractions are common in informal and semi-formal speech and writing.
  • Abbreviations save space in writing.
  • Informal shortened words and acronyms/initialisms are common in everyday conversations.
B2 Knowledge Check · 5 questions

Shortened Words — Practice Quiz

1 / 5
Q1

Question 1: What is the full form of the informal shortened word "ad"?

Question 1 options
"Ad" is the informal shortened form of "advertisement." It is commonly used in casual conversation, as in "Did you see the new ad on TV?"
Q2

Question 2: Acronyms and initialisms are both spoken as individual letters.

Question 2 options
This is false. Acronyms are spoken as words (e.g., NASA), while initialisms are spoken as individual letters (e.g., ATM). They are formed the same way — from the first letters of words — but pronounced differently.
Q3

Question 3: I ___ believe what just happened!

Question 3 options
"Can't" is the contraction of "cannot" and fits naturally in this sentence. "Don't" means "do not," which doesn't work with "believe" in this context of disbelief. "Haven't" and "isn't" do not fit grammatically here.
Q4

Question 4: Match each shortened word to the type it belongs to.

Question 4 options
Don't
Dr.
Photo
NASA
Acronym
Informal shortened word
Contraction
Abbreviation

Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

"Don't" is a contraction (two words combined with an apostrophe). "Dr." is an abbreviation (a shortened written form of Doctor). "Photo" is an informal shortened word (a casual form of photograph). "NASA" is an acronym (first letters of words, spoken as one word).
Q5

Question 5: Which of the following is NOT an informal shortened word?

Question 5 options
"Mrs." is an abbreviation used in formal and everyday writing, not an informal shortened word. The others — "info" (information), "app" (application), and "meds" (medications) — are all informal shortened words used in casual conversation.

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