Abbreviations for Business English are hard to remember at the best of times. If English is not your first language, abbreviations can be especially confusing. Here are some of the most popular workplace abbreviations and business acronyms used in offices all around the world every day.
ACCT
Account or Accounts
It could also be used to abbreviate accounting, accountant or accounting department.
ASAP
As Soon as Possible
This popular english abbreviation is used in written or in spoken English to indicate that a reply or action is urgent.
ATTN:
Attention:
This business English abbreviation is used at the top of documents to identify the intended recipient.
B2B
Business to Business
B2B refers to transaction between companies.
B2C
Business to Consumer
B2C refers to transactions directly between business and consumer.
cc / bcc
Carbon Copy / Blind Carbon Copy
Used in email to send a copy of the email to someone other than the recipient to who the email is addressed. Bcc means a copy is sent but the email address the recipient is concealed.
CEO
Cheif Executive Officer.
The highest-ranking officer in a company or business. Other executive title abbreviations include CFO – Chief Financial Officer. COO – Chief Operations Officer. CIO – Chief Information Officer.
COB
Close of Business
This abbreviation is used to indicate the end of the business day and is usually used as a deadline. Generally, COB is thought to be 5 pm. EOB – end of business, and EOD – end of day, are sometimes used as well.
CR
Credit
Credit has different definitions in banking, accounting and general business.
DR
Debit
Debit has has different definitions in banking, accounting and general business.
ETA
Estimated Time of Arrival
The time at which someone or something is scheduled or due to arrive.
FYI
For Your Information
This abbreviation is used to draw attention to some piece of information. Originally used in written communication, today, it is sometimes used in spoken English as well.
HR
Human Resources
This business abbreviation is the designation for an organization’s human resources department which handles the administration of employees.
IMO
In My Opinion
An abbreviation most commonly used in informal written communication to indicate that some information is a personal view rather than fact.
IPO
Initial Public Offering
An IPO is the process by which a private company offers shares in the company to the public.
KPI
Key Performance Indicator
Metrics used to evaluate operations.
MoM
Month-on-month / Month-over-Month
Comparison of financial (or other figures) from one month to the next.
OoO
Out of Office.
This business acronym is often used with auto email reply to indicate you are not in the office and not currently attending to work-related tasks or emails.
P/E
Price to Earnings Ratio
Used by investors to evaluate share prices. This ratio shows the relationship between a company’s share price and a company’s income.
P&L
Profit and Loss Statement
Shows a company’s revenue and expenses over a given period.
PR
Public Relations
The management of communication between a company and the public.
R&D
Research and Development Department.
The department of a business involved in the development of new products and services.
ROI
Return-on-Investment
A measurement of the gain or loss of an investment relative to its cost.
SEO
Search Engine Optimization.
The practice of improving website visibility to search engines to increase and improve website traffic.
YoY
Year-on-year / Year-over-year.
Comparison of financial (or other figures) from one year to the next.
YtD
Year-to-date.
The period between the beginning of the calendar or fiscal year and the current date.
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Hopefully, you found this list of common business acronyms helpful! If you have a question or a comment about these abbreviations for business English, let us know below!
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