Learn Common Spanish Abbreviations & Acronyms

• Luis Ronson
• 25 Feb, 2024
• 0 Comments
• 6 Mins Read

Spanish abbreviations are shortened forms of words or phrases used to save time. It is widely used to express long words more easily. Abbreviations of official institutions and organizations, title abbreviations, address, and location abbreviations are widely used in Spanish.

There are four different types of Spanish abbreviations.

1. Abbreviations
2. Symbols
3. Acronyms
4. Initialisms

 What are Abbreviations?

Abbreviations are the expression of a word, phrase, term, or proper name by shortening it with one or more letters it contains. They are used to prevent the repetition of long words and phrases and to ensure rapid communication. Spelling rules are not taken into consideration, and the simplest form of long words is used.

Why Use Abbreviations in Spanish?

Spanish abbreviations are used to make long words and expressions short. There are five main benefits of using Spanish abbreviations.

1. To save time and space
2. To make writing more concise
3. To avoid repetition
4. To create a sense of informality
5. To represent titles and degrees

What are the Types of Spanish Abbreviations?

Spanish abbreviations are in 4 main forms. Each type of abbreviation is created with different rules. The use of all abbreviations in the Spanish language also varies.

1. Abbreviations
2. Symbols
3. Acronyms
4. Initialisms

The four main types of Spanish abbreviations are listed below.

1. Abbreviations

Abbreviations are shortened forms of words that consist of the initial part or a combination of the initial and final parts of the original word. 

They are commonly denoted by a period at the end of a slash (‘/’). For instance, “Dr.” stands for “doctor,” and “C/” represents “calle” (street).

Examples of Spanish abbreviations include:

• “a.C.” for “antes de Cristo” (B.C.)
• “EE.UU” for “Estados Unidos” (U.S.A)
• “Adv.” for “adverbio” (adverb)

2. Symbols

Symbols are abbreviations used for scientific or technical terms. They are international and written in lowercase.

Common examples of Spanish symbols include:

• “m” for “metro” (meter)
• “d” for “dia” (day)
• “kg” for “kilogramo” (kilogram)

3. Acronyms

Acronyms are abbreviations formed by taking the initial letters of multiple words and pronouncing them as a new word. They are typically written in capital letters. 

Some common Spanish acronyms include:

• “ADENA” for “Asociacion para la defensa de la naturaleza” (Association for the defense of nature)
• “RAE” for “Real Academia Española” (Royal Spanish Academy)
• “RENFE” for “Red Nacional de Ferrocarriles Españoles” (Spanish National Railway Network)

4. Initialisms

Initialisms, known as “siglas” in Spanish, are abbreviations formed by taking the first letter of each word. Unlike acronyms, they are pronounced letter by letter and are written in capital letters. 

Some common examples of Spanish initialisms include:

• “DNI” for “documento nacional de identidad” (ID)
• “ONG” for “organizacion no gubernamental” (NGO)
• “AVE” for “Alta Velocidad Española” (Spanish High Speed)

What are Common Spanish Abbreviations?

The most commonly used Spanish abbreviations are listed in the table below.

What are Spanish texting abbreviations?

The typical slang of Mexican Spanish, Panamanian Spanish, Argentine Spanish, and others are typically localized, whereas Internet abbreviations are universal and used by any person who catches the gist of a chat.  

One of the reasons for using abbreviations in messaging is that the pace of life increases, which pushes us to say more in less time.

The most popular and widely used Spanish internet abbreviations in 2023 are listed in the table below.

What are Spanish Professions Abbreviations?

Abbreviated professions are the shortest way to introduce people. Abbreviated occupations are often used on social media and business cards.

The most popular and widely used Spanish professional abbreviations are listed in the table below.

What are Spanish Abbreviations for International Organizations?

Spanish abbreviations for international organizations are all the same letters used in English. Abbreviations are often used to refer to International Organizations.

The most popular and widely used International organizations abbreviations are listed in the table below.

What are Spanish Abbreviations for Map Locations?

Spanish abbreviations for maps are often used to help you navigate or tell you where you are.

The most popular and widely used Spanish abbreviations for maps abbreviations are listed in the table below.

What are Spanish Abbreviations for Addresses?

Spanish address abbreviations are used to indicate your location, give directions, or describe a location you are going to.

Spanish address abbreviations are listed in the table below.

What are Spanish month abbreviations?

Spanish month abbreviations are listed in the table below.

What are Spanish days of the week abbreviations?

Spanish days of the week abbreviations are listed in the table below.

What are Spanish measurement abbreviations?

Spanish measurement abbreviations are listed in the table below.

What are the grammar rules for creating Spanish abbreviations?

There are 4 basic grammatical rules for creating Spanish abbreviations.

1. Initial letters are used.
2. A period is used at the end.
3. Long vowels are not shortened.
4. Consonants are not shortened.

When creating Spanish abbreviations, it is important to pay attention to the reader’s understanding. For example, Oud. and Uds. Formal abbreviations such as are rarely used in everyday speech.

Luis Ronson

Luis Ronson is a Spanish teacher at onlinelearnspanish.com. He's a bilingual Spanish-English. She has a master's in "vocabulary" and is responsible for our Spanish vocabulary-related articles.