Pronunciation: [ɐbɹˈiːvɪˌe͡ɪt] (IPA) 
The word "abbreviate" is spelled with three consonant sounds between its two "a" sounds. The first is "b," which is pronounced as /b/, the second is "v," which is pronounced as /v/, and the third is "t," which is pronounced as /t/. Between "v" and "t," there is an unstressed "i," pronounced as /ə/. The final "e" of "abbreviate" is silent. The IPA transcription for "abbreviate" is /əˈbriːviˌeɪt/.
Abbreviate is a verb that refers to the act of shortening or reducing something, typically by using fewer letters or words, while still maintaining its essential meaning or content. It involves creating a shorter form of a word, phrase, or sentence while retaining its overall sense.
When abbreviating words, it usually involves removing some letters or syllables from the original term. For instance, "abbreviation" itself can be abbreviated to "abbrev." Similarly, "United States" can be shortened to "U.S." In some cases, abbreviations are formed by using the initial letters or a combination of letters from each word in a phrase, like "NASA" for "National Aeronautics and Space Administration."
Abbreviations serve various purposes, including saving time, space, or effort in writing, typing, or speaking. They are commonly used in various fields, such as medicine (e.g., "mg" for milligrams), technology (e.g., "HTML" for HyperText Markup Language), and business (e.g., "CEO" for Chief Executive Officer).
However, it is crucial to ensure that the intended meaning is clear, as the reader or listener might not be familiar with the specific abbreviation being used. It is therefore important to provide context or define the abbreviation when using it for the first time.
Overall, abbreviate is the act of shortening words, phrases, or sentences by using fewer letters or words while retaining the core idea or content, aiming to make communication more efficient and concise.
To shorten; to reduce to a smaller size; to abridge.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word abbreviate comes from the Latin verb abbreviare, which is derived from the Latin word brevis meaning short or brief. The prefix ad- in Latin signifies to or toward, so when combined with brevis, it literally means to make short or to make briefer. This Latin term was later adapted into Old French as abbrevier, and eventually made its way into Middle English as abbreviaten before taking its current form as abbreviate.
