Abbreviations and plurals

Plurals of abbreviations are formed in the same way as the regular plurals of common nouns: simply by adding the letter s. Note that there is no apostrophe before s, which is written in lower case.

Exemple adequatFAQs (frequently asked questions)

Exemple adequatSMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises)

Exemple adequatVLEs (virtual learning environments)


When the singular form of the abbreviation ends in s, that form can also be used to refer to a plural group. This avoids the uncomfortable effect of seeing an s repeated.

Exemple adequatSDS (safety data sheet)

Exemple adequatSDS (safety data sheets)
Darrera actualització: 28-9-2023
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Recommended citation:
«Abbreviations and plurals» [en línia]. A: Llibre d’estil de la Universitat de Barcelona. Barcelona: Universitat de Barcelona. Serveis Lingüístics. <https://www.ub.edu/llibre-estil/criteri.php?id=2369> [consulta: 20 abril 2024].
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