中文的「縮寫」，英文有可能是 abbreviation, acronym, 或 initialism。英文的 abbreviation 則是個上位詞 (superordinate/hypernym)，它包括 acronym 和 initialism。
acronym 和 initialism 有什麼區別呢？
Photo: Wikimedia Commons l 照片：維基共享資源
譬如 LASER 是雷射 (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) 的縮寫；NASA是美國航太總署 (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) 的縮寫；OPEC 是石油輸出國家組織 (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) 的縮寫；我們若把這些縮寫當一個字來唸，LASER 唸 /ˈleɪ•zər/，NASA 唸 /ˈnæs.ə/，OPEC 唸 /ˈoʊ.pek/，這樣的縮寫就是 acronym。
至於 initialism 則只是照縮寫後的個別字母唸：
FBI 是 Federal Bureau of Investigation（聯邦調查局）的縮寫，唸 F, B, I； CIA 是 Central Intelligence Agency（中央情報局）的縮寫，唸 C, I, A， 這樣的縮寫就是 initialism。
The abbreviation formed with initialism is not pronounced as a word, rather you say the individual letters, such as FBI & CIA.
世衛組織 2020 年 2 月 11 日宣布，為避免污名化特定地區 (to avoid references to a specific geographical location . . . aimed at preventing stigmatization)，正式將新型冠狀病毒病 (2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease)命名為 COVID-19，並說明 CO 代表冠狀 (Corona)，VI代表病毒 (virus)，D 代表疾病 (disease)。
COVID-19 唸成 /koʊ.vɪd.naɪnˈtiːn/ ，而不是唸 C, O, V, I, D, 19，像這樣的縮寫，英文叫 acronym，不是 initialism。
台灣人熟悉的葉克膜 (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, ECMO)，最早引入台灣時，主要用於支持換心患者在接受心臟移植前，或心臟移植後的過渡期，暫時取代心臟功能。然而目前葉克膜已經廣泛用於需要短期心肺功能支持的病患身上。
Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) uses a mechanical heart and lung to support the body and give a patient’s organs time to rest. ECMO does the work your heart and lungs would normally do to support your body when your own organs are too sick to do the job alone. ECMO, pronounced EK-moe, will not heal you. It simply allows your body time to heal on its own.
ECMO 唸 /ˈek-ˌmō/ ，不唸成 E, C, M, O，也是 acronym。
至於「應用程式」(Application) 的縮寫 App，應唸 /æp/，也是 acronym。台灣許多人喜歡以 initialism 的方式，唸成 A, P, P.，不符英文習慣。
另外，全球資訊網 (World Wide Web) 的縮寫 WWW，應以 initialism 的方式，讀作 W, W, W /’dʌblju dʌblju dʌblju/，不讀“triple W”。(Jerome Su, Nov. 20, 2024)
防疫必備詞彙：病名相關詞彙
冠狀病毒 Coronavirus
新型冠狀病毒 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎 Coronavirus Disease 2019
嚴重急性呼吸綜合症冠狀病毒2型 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
新型冠狀病毒病 COVID-19
致死率 case fatality rate (CFR)
世衛組織 World Health Organization (WHO)
文章由書林出版公司提供：
www.bookman.com.tw
蘇正隆 — 台灣翻譯學學會前理事長、師大翻譯研究所兼任副教授; 編著《英語的對與錯》，《世紀病毒：必讀防疫英文知識與詞彙》...等
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