Redundant Acronyms
How Hidden Repetitions Can Undermine Otherwise Good Business Writing
Aug 25, 2008
Acronyms are typically formed by taking the first letters of each word in a longer phrase to create a shorter term. The best acronyms include enough vowels to be pronounced like words. Since these acronyms contain the meanings of their component words, they can hide otherwise glaring redundant phrases.
The problem of unnecessary repetition hidden by an acronym has been termed RAS Syndrome, a phrase standing for Redundant Acronym Syndrome Syndrome. This tongue-in-cheek name describes the problem by example more elegantly than this writer otherwise could.
Hidden Meanings
The source of RAS Syndrome is the inattentiveness of the writer to her language. Acronyms typically are written in capital letters to set them apart as standing for a longer phrase, and it is the responsibility of the writer to know what any word or phrase means before using it. Casual, conversational usage of these broken phrases may give them an air of legitimacy, but they do not belong in professional business writing. Some examples that are widespread include:
- PIN number
- ATM machine
- HIV virus
- IRA account
These are also some of the most egregious errors, as in each case the last letter of the acronym stands for the very word that comes next on the page. It is interesting to note that only the first acronym, PIN, is usually pronounced like a word. Reciting each letter should give one pause to consider what they each stand for, but such is not typically the case.
One example that is particularly curious is the name of the restaurant chain TCBY Yogurt. Standing for “The Country’s Best Yogurt,” it is reasonable to assume that the signs which include the second instance of the word “yogurt” were approved by management that understood what TCBY itself stands for.
Former Acronyms not as Susceptible to Repetition
Acronyms sometimes move into the English language as true words, such as radar and laser. They are no longer written in capital letters, denoting a new status. These words still contain the meanings of all of their components, but finding examples of RAS Syndrome is difficult here, if not impossible. It is likely that all of the words thus created include technical terminology, so the original purpose of the acronym (simplifying language) is more naturally fulfilled. There is nothing particularly technical about the phrase “personal identification number,” so it may never become a common word.
Another theory is that acronyms tend to continue in capitalized form if confusion would result otherwise. A PIN is very different from a pin, while there is nothing with which one could confuse the word “radar.”
Business writers must be particularly aware of their audiences, as uneducated mistakes in this field can lead to lost sales. Writers that avoid “ATM machine” should also learn not to use “ATM’s” as a plural; this is covered in more depth in a separate article on apostrophe usage.
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