British Columbia Newcomers' Guide
to Resources and Services

Abbreviations and Acronyms

In Canada, many people use short forms made from the first letters of the words in a group of words. Sometimes we say these letter by letter. For example, we say "E-S-L" for "English as a Second Language." These abbreviations are pronounced letter by letter:

Sometimes we pronounce these short forms as a word. For example, we say the word CANN for Community Airport Newcomers’ Network. These acronyms are pronounced as words:

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