In American English, we always put a period after an abbreviation; it doesn't matter whether the abbreviation is the first two letters of the word (as in Dr. for Drive) or the first and last letter (as in Dr. for Doctor).
What abbreviations require a period?
In addition to ending a sentence, the period is used with certain abbreviations. The current style is to use periods with most lowercase and mixed-case abbreviations (examples: a.m., etc., vol., Inc., Jr., Mrs., Tex.) and to omit periods with most uppercase abbreviations (examples: FBI, IRS, ATM, NATO, NBC, TX).
What are the rules of abbreviation?
Rules for Abbreviations
- Introduce Them with Parentheses. ...
- Abbreviate Personal and Professional Titles. ...
- Only Abbreviate Well-Known Terms. ...
- Look Closely at Initialisms. ...
- Keep Date Abbreviations Informal. ...
- Time and Time Zones Can Follow Several Styles. ...
- There Are USPS Standards for Addresses. ...
- Latin Abbreviations Need Punctuation.
