What is the exact difference???

[Abdulmajid]

Between an anacronym, an acronym, and a pseudonym?

I'll be bu66ered if I know.

[Jugglering]

Anacronym - a word that is made up of the initial letters to describe something else but that most people have forgotten (eg BASIC - a computer language)

Acronym - as above but not forgotten - eg AIDS

Pseudonym - a false name - bit like your *Abdulmajid* or my *Jugglering*

[JCL53]

Acronym is a word formed from the initial letters of a multi-word name. eg Nato or Scuba
Anacronyms are replacements of other phrases that have become obsolete, either for technological, political or marketing reasons.
Pseudonym is a fictitious name, also known as an alias, used as an alternative to a person's legal name.

[~max~]

The way I understand it, an acronym is the initials of words used to shorten a long phrase, like CIA, FBI, BBC...

An anacronym is one such phrase shortened to its initials that are no longer in use, or that people don't remember.

Anachronism, however, is an historically incorrect phrase or thing, like when an actor wears a wristwatch in a medieval movie.

A pseudonym is just another name for something or someone, like when authors write under a fake name.

Does any of this make sense? lol

[Jugglering]

lol JCL - snap !

[Abdulmajid]

Thank you, very good.

So what's a pneumonic (sp)????

I thought NATO was one of them as well. no?

[JCL53]

Do you Mnemonic rather ?
That's a memory aid
EG Richard Of York Goes Battling In Vain
ROYGBIV
The colours of the rainbow
Red orange yellow green blue indigo violet

[rescuer]

Now that you have learned the meanings I do trust that you will not be actually 'bu66erd' !

[Tom Braider]

Max; The important thing about an acronym is it has to be a pronounceable word. BBC, CIA, FBI are not acronyms, just initials.

[~max~]

Ooh interesting, that I didn't know! Thanks!

So what are those called then? BBC, FBI etc...?

[~max~]

Sorry! I started looking for it before I posted, and hit the post button by mistake after finding my answer!

It appears that abbreviations pronounced as the names of the individual letters are called initialisms.

[shaking]

abbreviations

[~max~]

lol shaking! You must have been writing just as I posted!
Acronyms and initialisms are both types of abbreviations, kind of like sub-categories.

[ChuckFickens]

shaking,

Nope an abbreviation is just a shortened version of a word i.e. using tech instead of technology.

[shaking]

well chuck, we live and learn, thanks.

[Catron]

Not so chuck - BBC is an abbreviation. The fact that it is also an initialism does not take away from the fact that it is still an abbreviation. In other words an initialism is also an abbreviation.

[ChuckFickens]

I will stand corrected.

I liked ~max~'s description that abbreviation is the overall heading but all others fall into sub categories under that

[Catron]

Yes, agreed - that was a good way of putting it.

[dundurn]

I liked the cartoon in New Scientist some years ago where a man was wearing a t-shirt proudly advertising the

Campaign to
Repudiate
Acronymic
Practices

[nightmare]

dundurn,
on the subject of cartoons in New Scientist,
I remember one from about 30 years ago, in which a man had opened his "Home Clone Kit", to find a piece of paper inside with the words " Go F**k Yourself" written on it.
The actual phrase was written without censorship - times change !