On Mon, 03 Oct 2005 06:08:46 GMT, Jon Harris wrote:

> "Richard Crowley" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]..
>> "Richard Crowley" wrote :...
>>> ... Whenever I see the acronyn "PCM",
>>> I automatically activate my BS filter.
>>
>> Correction. "PCM" is an initialism, not an acronym.
>> Acronyms are pronouncable (like "OPEC"), whereas
>> initialisms are not pronouncable (like "FBI").
>
> You may be correct, but common usage seems to be to use acronym for either one.
> In fact, I've never heard of the word initialism (and neither has the MS
> spell-checker).

These are normally called TLAs (three letter abbreviations).

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