A dictionary of letter words.INTRODUCTION Letters can be used to represent words. That is to say, the sounds of the letters can mimic the sounds of words. An example of everyday use of a letter word is the promissory note promissory note, unconditional written promise to pay a certain sum of money at a definite time to bearer or to a specified person on his order. Promissory notes are generally used as evidence of debt. called an IOU IOU An abbreviation of the phrase "I owe you." Notes: An IOU in the business community is actually a legally binding agreement between a borrower and a lender. The terms of the loan are set out in a contract, and, once it's signed, the two parties must abide by the terms , which stands for, and sounds like, "I owe you". Letters used to represent words have been called "grammagrams" by Richard Lederer and "ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. language" by Willard R. Espy Willard Richardson Espy (11 December 1910–20 February 1999) was a U.S. editor, philologist, writer, and poet. He is particularly remembered for his anthology of light verse and wordplay, An Almanac of Words at Play, and its two sequels. . Two books with collections of sentences composed with letters as words are CDB CDB Common Database CDB Caribbean Development Bank CDB Convention sur la Diversité Biologique (Convention on Biological Diversity) CDB China Development Bank (Beijing, China) CDB Capital Development Board ! (Aladdin Paperbacks, 1968) and CDC See Control Data, century date change and Back Orifice. CDC - Control Data Corporation ? (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1954), both by William Steig William Steig (November 14, 1907 – October 3, 2003) was a prolific American cartoonist, sculptor and, later in life, an author of popular children's literature. Steig was born in New York City to Polish-Jewish immigrants who encouraged his artistic leanings. . The most well-known example of letter words is the conversation at the restaurant: F U N E M? (Have you any ham) S V F M. (Yes, we have ham) F U N E X? (Have you any eggs) S V F X (Yes, we have eggs) O K L F M N X (OK, I'll have ham and eggs) Letter words can be used to create dialogue, short stores, and even limericks. For example: NILE S N 10-SE (Henry is in Tennessee) I C E S E-10 A B (I see he has eaten a bee) E S UUN D BB (He is using the bees) N N-6 S DD (And insects as these) 2 QR A B-9 LRG (To cure a benign allergy) GENERAL GUIDELINES In order to make it easier to read and write with letter words, the following guidelines are suggested. General Pronunciation and Notation Rules Single letters are pronounced as the name of the letter, for example B sounded as bee Double letters are pronounced as the plural PLURAL. A term used in grammar, which signifies more than one. 2. Sometimes, however, it may be so expressed that it means only one, as, if a man were to devise to another all he was worth, if he, the testator, died without children, and he died leaving one names of the letter, for example PP sounded as peas Double letters are pronounced individually but indicated with a hyphen hyphen: see punctuation. , for example NT-T sounded as entity Specific number of letters is indicated with a numerical prefix A numerical prefix is a prefix that denotes a number, which is usually a multiplier for the thing being prefixed. Numerical prefixes are usually derived from the words for numbers in various languages, most commonly Greek and Latin, although this is not necessarily the case. , for example 10-S sounded as tennis Numbers are pronounced as the name of the number, for example 4 sounded as for Double numbers pronounced as the plural of the numbers, for example 4-4 sounded as force (Exception: 22 can be pronounced as twos or tutu tutu coriariaarborea. depending on its use in the sentence) Individual numbers are indicated with a hyphen, for example N-2-8-F sounded as intuitive Pronouncing pro·nounc·ing adj. Relating to, designed for, or showing pronunciation: a pronouncing dictionary. Vowels Vowels are generally pronounced with a long sound, for example "a" as in bay, "e" as in eel eel, common name for any fish of the 10 families constituting the order Anguilliformes, and characterized by a long snakelike body covered with minute scales embedded in the skin. Although this is beneficial for maintaining consistency in reading letter words, there is an exception for the letter A when it is the last letter in the letter word. In this case if the letter A is pronounced with a short sound, for example "a" as in above, letter words can be expanded to include words such as IDA Ida (ē`dä), city (1990 pop. 91,859), Nagano prefecture, central Honshu, Japan, on the Tenryu River. It is an agricultural market and railway junction. for idea, VNA VNA abbr. Visiting Nurse Association for Vienna, CNA (Certified NetWare Administrator) See Novell certification. for Sienna sienna: see ocher. , and IOA IOA Institute on Aging (University of North Carolina) IOA Institute of Acoustics IoA Institute of Astronomy IOA Indian Olympic Association IOA Islands of Adventure (Universal Studios theme park) for Iowa. Accent Pronunciations Although speaking English with a regional or foreign accent allows for the creation of more letter words, it should be avoided as much as possible since not everyone is familiar with the wide variety of accents that exist. One accent which most people are familiar with, and is an exception to the rule, is dropping the pronunciation of the letter H, usually when it is the first letter in the word. This allows for letter words such as RD for hardy, LT for healthy, AAT Alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) A blood component that breaks down infection-fighting enzymes such as elastase. Mentioned in: Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease for hasty hast·y adj. hast·i·er, hast·i·est 1. Characterized by speed; rapid. See Synonyms at fast1. 2. Done or made too quickly to be accurate or wise; rash: a hasty decision. , FV for heavy, OIO OiO Onderzoeker in Opleiding OIO Open Infrastructure Offering OIO Office of the Investment Ombudsman (Korea) OIO Operational Integration Office OIO Oracle Inter Office for Ohio. Syllable syllable Segment of speech usually consisting of a vowel with or without accompanying consonant sounds (e.g., a, I, out, too, cap, snap, check). A syllabic consonant, like the final n sound in button and widen, also constitutes a syllable. Emphasis Many words become almost unintelligible UNINTELLIGIBLE. That which cannot be understood. 2. When a law, a contract, or will, is unintelligible, it has no effect whatever. Vide Construction, and the authorities there referred to. if they are pronounced with the accent on the wrong syllable (try pronouncing "syllable" with the accent on the second syllable). Other words change their meaning entirely (Are you content with the content? Did you present the present?). Some letter words have the same problem. For example, if all the letters in MRL MRL Medical Record Librarian; now called Medical Record Administrator. MRL maximum residue limit. are pronounced evenly it does not sound like a word. However, if the second letter is emphasized it sounds like immoral. If the first letter of NML (language) nML - A specification language for instruction sets, based on attribute grammars, for back-end generators. ["The nML Machine Description Formalism", M. Freericks <mfx@cs.tu-berlin.de> TR TU Berlin, FB20, Bericht 1991/15]. is emphasized it sounds like animal, but if the second letter is emphasized it sounds like enamel enamel, a siliceous substance fusible upon metal. It may be so compounded as to be transparent or opaque and with or without color, but it is usually employed to add decorative color. It was used to decorate jewelry in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. . There may be no way to avoid this, and the only solution may be to try reading the letter words with the emphasis on different letters. Writing Letter Words Letter words should be written with capital letters. Each letter word should be separated from the following letter word by a blank space Noun 1. blank space - a blank area; "write your name in the space provided" space, place surface area, expanse, area - the extent of a 2-dimensional surface enclosed within a boundary; "the area of a rectangle"; "it was about 500 square feet in area" . Depending on the font used, sometimes using a double space between letter words makes them easier to read. To make it easier to recognize where one sentence ends and another begins, punctuation punctuation [Lat.,=point], the use of special signs in writing to clarify how words are used; the term also refers to the signs themselves. In every language, besides the sounds of the words that are strung together there are other features, such as tone, accent, and should be included. To make it easier to recognize numbers it is advisable to separate them from the letters with hyphens. This is especially useful to avoid confusing a "one" with a capital I, or a "zero" with a capital O. Multiple Word Combinations In order to keep things simple, each letter word should represent a single real word. This will also help reduce the number of letter words that can be interpreted as more than one real word. An exception is for multiple-word letter words where the first word in the combination is an article. This provides useful words such as LAD for a lady and LMN LMN lower motor neuron. for a lemon. There is one other exception that is worth keeping, 10-Q for thank you (we wouldn't want letter words to become a thankless exercise!) Many multiple word combinations can be represented in other ways. For example, instead of using EE for he is, use E S, or instead of using NMLZ for animals he, use NMLL E. Multiple Words from the Same Letters Since many letter words depend on stretching some of the sounds of the real words, some words will need to be "translated" based on the content of the sentence. For example, M can be am, ham, him or them, N can be Ann, an, and, in, end or hen, and X can be ask, axe or eggs. Using Symbols for Letter Words Although some symbols can provide interesting words, such as D cents for decent and Nee for innocent, symbols should be avoided to keep things simple. Sometimes letter words contain Greek letters Greek letters, n.pl symbols based on the Greek alphabet that are used to represent phenomena and objects in science. . Although they can also provide interesting words, such as X[pi]R for expire, Greek letters should also be avoided. Syllable Consistency The number of syllables in the letter words should as much as possible match the number of syllables in the words they represent. In most cases there is a perfect match. For example, NML and animal each have three syllables. There are a number of exceptions where the letter words have more syllables than the words they represent. In these cases only the letter words that are very close in pronunciation should be used. Some examples of good matches are BUT for beauty, CL for seal, 2-L for tool, UR for your and FRE-1 for everyone. Some examples of letter words that do not meet this criterion and should be avoided are TRNE TRNE Trainee for tyranny and MSE MSE Mouse (computer) MSE Materials Science & Engineering MSE Mean Squared Error MSE Mean Square Error MSE Master of Science in Engineering MSE Manufacturing Systems Engineering MSE Mechanically Stabilized Earth for messy. Use of Acronyms There are a number of acronyms that look somewhat like letter words. However, if you try to read them as such, they do not sound like real words. In the interest of keeping things simple and keeping the principle of pronouncing each letter, avoid using acronyms mixed in with letter words. This would include ones such as RSVP (ReSerVation Protocol) A communications protocol that signals a router to reserve bandwidth for real time transmission. RSVP is designed to clear a path for audio and video traffic, eliminating annoying skips and hesitations. , ASAP (chat) asap - As soon as possible. , ASPCA ASPCA abbr. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ASPCA n abbr (= American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) → SPA f , CIA CIA: see Central Intelligence Agency. (1) (Confidentiality Integrity Authentication) The three important concerns with regards to information security. Encryption is used to provide confidentiality (privacy, secrecy). , BBC BBC in full British Broadcasting Corp. Publicly financed broadcasting system in Britain. A private company at its founding in 1922, it was replaced by a public corporation under royal charter in 1927. , MBA MBA abbr. Master of Business Administration Noun 1. MBA - a master's degree in business Master in Business, Master in Business Administration , AMA (Automatic Message Accounting) The recording and reporting of telephone calls within a telephone system. It includes the calling and called parties and start and stop times of the call. , DVD DVD: see digital versatile disc. DVD in full digital video disc or digital versatile disc Type of optical disc. The DVD represents the second generation of compact-disc (CD) technology. , VCR VCR: see videocassette recorder. VCR in full videocassette recorder Electromechanical device that records, stores on a videotape cassette, and plays back on a TV set recorded images and sound. , PTA PTA or parent-teacher association: see parent education. , BMW BMW in full Bayerische Motoren Werke AG German automaker. Founded as an aircraft engine manufacturer in 1916, the company assumed the name Bayerische Motoren Werke and became known for its high-speed motorcycles in the 1920s. , AAPR AAPR Austrian Association for Pattern Recognition AAPR Army Aviation Program Review AAPR Advanced Arj Password Recovery , etc. However, if acronyms are essential to what is being written, they should be made to stand out by using italics or boldface See boldface font. . SOURCES AND EXAMPLES A recent example of an extended text in Word Ways is given by "Katie and Jay, an Odious Essay" by Nick Montfort Nick Montfort is a poet, computer scientist, scholar of new media and game studies, and author of interactive fiction who is moving away from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His collaborative literary projects include The Ed Report, 2002, Implementation, and in the August 2000 issue. The first Letteral Limerick Limerick, city, Republic of Ireland Limerick, city (1991 pop. 56,083), seat of Co. Limerick, SW Republic of Ireland, at the head of the Shannon estuary. The city has a port with two docks. was written by Stuart Kidd and appears in the May 2003 Kickshaws Kick´shaws` n. 1. Something fantastical; any trifling, trumpery thing; a toy. Art thou good at these kickshawses! - Shak. 2. A fancy dish; a tidbit; a delicacy. Some pigeons, . . . . Ted Clarke exhibits a short "Canine Narrative" in Colloquy col·lo·quy n. pl. col·lo·quies 1. A conversation, especially a formal one. 2. A written dialogue. [From Latin colloquium, conversation; see in August 1991. "Odyssey to Arcadia" is an extended example by Dave Morice in the May 1991 Kickshaws. An older example is found in May 1976, "A Man For All Seasons This article is about the play. For other uses, see A Man for All Seasons (disambiguation). A Man for All Seasons is a play by Robert Bolt. An early form of the play had been written for BBC Radio in 1954, but after Bolt's success with " by Betsy Burr burr (bur) bur. burr n. Variant of bur. burr 1. a plant seed capsule carrying many hooked structures which catch in animal coats thus promoting dissemination of the plant. . Willard Espy gives a mixed example, using both letter words and real words, in "Rebus Poetry" in February 1974. Willard R. Espy, The Game of Words (Bramhall House, 1971) Willard R. Espy, An Almanac almanac, originally, a calendar with notations of astronomical and other data. Almanacs have been known in simple form almost since the invention of writing, for they served to record religious feasts, seasonal changes, and the like. of Words at Play (Clarkson N. Potter, 1975) Willard R. Espy, Another Almanac of Words at Play (Clarkson N. Potter, 1980) Willard R. Espy, A Children's Almanac of Words at Play (Clarkson N. Potter, 1982) Anthony B Anthony B is the stage name of Keith Blair (born March 31, 1976), a Jamaican musician. Biography Early life Blair grew up in rural Clarks Town in the northwestern parish of Trelawny. . Lake, A Pleasury of Witticisms & Wordplay (Bramwell House, 1975) Richard Lederer, Pun and Games (Chicago Review Press, 1996) Richard Lederer, The Word Circus, A Letter Perfect Book (Merriam-Webster, 1998) Dictionary of Letter Words (4 NE-1 2 UU) 1 won 6-S success C 2 to 6-SS successes C 2 too 8-8 hates C-10 4 for 10-N tenon CC 8 ate 10-NN tenons CC 8 hate 10-NC tenancy CC 1,000,000-AR millionaire 10-UR tenure CC 1,000,000-ARR millionaires 10-US tenuous CCLE 2-LL tools AVRE aviary D 2-N twin AVREE aviaries D-2-R 2-NN twins AYE Hawaii D-2-RR 2-R tour AZ hazy DAT 2-RN touring B be DATT 2-RR tours B bee DCC 2-RR Tours B-10 beaten DD 4-4 force B-4 before DDIN 4-4-S forces B-9 benign DDINN 4-A foray BB bees DDIR 4-AA forays B-B baby DDIRN 4-C foresee B-BB babies DDIRR 4-CC foresees BBNS business DDL 4-CN foreseen BBNS-S businesses DDLL 4-FR forever BBTL beastial DDN 4-K fork BD beady DFI 4-M forum BF behalf DFII 4-MM forums BN being DFIN 4-N foreign BUT beauty DK 4-NR foreigner BUTS beauteous DKK 4-NRR foreigners BUTT beauties DKN 4-S forest BZ busy DL DLL deals GLOG geology L DM deem H hatch L-10 DNN dance HH hatches LA DNN-N dancing HN aging LAA DR dear HN hatching LAD DR deer I eye LC DV-8 deviate I I LE DV-8-8 deviates IC icy LEE DV-8-8--N deviating IDA idea LEG DVS devious IDL ideal LEGG DZ dizzy IDLE ideally LEM DZZ disease IDLSM idealism LEN DZZS diseases II eyes LENN E he II ice LEV-8 E-10 eaten IL aisle LEV-8-8 ED Eddie IL I'll LEV-8-N EE ease ILN island LF EE his ILNN islands LF-8-R EEL easel IN ion LF-8-RR EELL easels INN ions LFN EES eases IOA Iowa LFNN EL eel IR higher LL ELL eels IR hire LM EPQR epicure IR ire LMM EPQRR epicures IRR hires LMN ER ear IRN hiring LMNM ERR ears IRN iron LMNII EZ easy IRNN irons LMN-8 EZR easier IV ivy LMN-8 F have IV Ivy LMN-8-8 F if J Jay LMN-8-8 F off JJ jazz LMN-8-N F-10 often JL jail LMN-8-N FE Effie JLL jails LN FI-10-10 evidence JM jam LNR FY iffy JMM jams LO FAA efface K cay LO FAAN effacing K Kay LON FAAS effaces K-10 kitten LONN FEG effigy K-10-10 kittens LOO FEGG effigies KB cabby LRG FN haven't KBB cabbies LRGG FN having KC Casey LT FN heaven KF calf LX FND effendi KFF calves LXS FNU avenue KG cagey M FNUU avenues KK case M FR ever KKN caisson M FRE-1 everyone KKNN caissons M FT hefty KL kale MA FV heavy KM came MBC FX affects KN can MBCC FX effects KR care MC G gee KRR cares MCC GG cheese KT Katie ME GGS cheeses L all MET MH image NKK encase OL MHH images NKKS encases OLL MLE Emily NLII analyze OM MLN a melon NLIIN analyzing OM MM hams NLIIS analyses OMM MN a man NLL annals O MN-8 emanate NLOG analogy ON MN--8-8 emanates NLOGG analogies P MNA-10 emanating NLS-EE analyses PK MNCT immensity NLS-S analysis PL MNN amends NME enemy PLL MNN immense NMEE enemies PNE MNUL Emanuel NMNE anemone PNEE MPS impious NMNEE anemones PNO MR hammer NML animal PNOO MRE emery NML enamel PP MRR hammers NMLL animals PP MT empty NN ends PP MUN immune NN hands PPA N an NN hens PPA N and NN-10-10 instance PPS N Ann NN-10-10-EE instances PT N end NOI anyway PV N hen NR inner Q N in NRE Henry Q N inn NRG energy QES N-10-10 intense NRGG energies QQ N-10-10-CT intensity NT ante QR N-2 into NT auntie QRN N-2-2 induce NTT auntie's QRR N-2-2-N inducing NT-T entity QT N-2-2-S induces NT-TT entities QTT N-2-8-F intuitive NUL annual R N-4-4 enforce NULL annuals R-8 N-4-4-N enforcing NUU-UL unusual RA N-4-4-S enforces NV envy RAA N-4-M inform NVN envying RABN N-4-MM informs NVS envious RD N-4-MN informing NVV envies RE N-6 insects NX annex REA N-8 innate NXPDNC inexpediency REE N-10-A antenna NXS-10-10 inexistence REL NA Anna O owe REL NCDM ancidium O-8-N awaiting PEN NCQR insecure O-8 await RI ND Andy O-8-8 awaits RII ND handy OA away RIIN NDA India OBB obese RUN NDCC indices OBBIT obesity RIIS NDD Andes OBDN obedient RKDN NDN Indian OBDNN obedience RL NDNN Indians OCN ocean RLE NDR endear OCNN oceans RM NE any ODM odium RME NE-1 anyone ODS odious RMEE NF enough OIO Ohio RMM RN aren't TDM tedium X RO arrow TM team X ROO arrows TMM teams X-10-U-8 RQ argue TP teepee X-10-U-8-8 RQN arguing TPP teepees X-10-U-A-10 RQQ argues TR tear XAVR RR hours TRN tearing XI-10 RR ours TRR tears XII RT Artie TT teas XIIS RT arty TT tease XL RTTN artisan TTN teasing XLL RTTN artesian TTS teases XLN S as U ewe XLNC S has U yew XLR-8-10 S is U you XM S yes U-4-EA euphoria XMM S-2-RE estuary UR ewer XMN S-2-REE estuaries UR your XMNN SA essay URR yours XMN-N SAA essays UU ewes XNR-8 SKP escapee UU use XNR-8-8 SN hasn't UUN using XNR-8-N SN isn't UUS uses XPDN SN-9 asinine UU-UL usual XPDNC SN-10-10 ascendance UU-ULE usually XPTT SNN essence V we XQQ SQ askew VDO video XQQN S-S assess VNA Vienna XQQS S-SN assessing VNS Venus XS S-SN assassin VR veer XS-10-10 S-SNN assassins VRE very XTC S-SR assessor VRN veering XX S-SRR assessors VRR veers XX S-SS assesses VVA visa Y SU issue VVUL visual YF SUN issuing VVULE visually YL SUU issues VVULII visualize YN SX Essex VVULIIR visualizer YNN T tea VVULIIS visualizes YY TDS tedious X ask ZN C sea C see C-10 sitting CC seas CC sees CC seize CC cease CCLE Sicily CCN season CCNN seasons CCR Caesar CCREN cesarean CCZM cesium CD seedy CK seek CL seal CLL seals CLN ceiling CLNN ceilings CM seam CM seem CN seeing CN seen CN scene CNA Sienna CNCNAT Cincinnati CNN scenes CT city CTT cities D Dee D the D-2-R detour D-2-RR detours DAT deity DATT deities DCC decease DD these DDIN design DDINN designs DDIR desire DDIRN desiring DDIRR desires DDL diesel DDLL diesels DDN descend DFI deify DFII deifies DFIN deifying DK decay DKK decays DKN decaying DL deal L ill L-10 Elton LA allay LAA allies LAD a lady LC Elsie LE alley LEE alleys LEG elegy LEGG elegies LEM allium LEN alien LENN aliens LEV-8 alleviate LEV-8-8 alleviates LEV-8-N alleviating LF elf LF-8-R elevator LF-8-RR elevators LFN elephant LFNN elephants LL else LM elm LMM elms LMN a lemon LMNM aluminum LMNII aluminize LMN-8 eliminate LMN-8 illuminate LMN-8-8 eliminates LMN-8-8 illuminates LMN-8-N eliminating LMN-8-N illuminating LN Ellen LNR Eleanor LO allow LO hello LON allowing LONN allowance LOO allows LRG allergy LRGG allergies LT healthy LX Alex LXS Alexis M am M ham M him M them MA Emma MBC embassy MBCC embassies MC emcee MCC emcees ME Emmy MET amity OL owl OLL owls OM ohm OM home OMM homes O owes ON owing P pea PK piquet PL peel PLL peels PNE peony PNEE peonies PNO piano PNOO pianos PP peace PP piece PP peas PPA Pisa PPA pizza PPS pieces PT pity PV Peavey Q cue Q queue QES curious QQ queues QR cure QRN curing QRR cures QT cutie QTT cuties R are R-8 alright RA array RAA arrays RABN Arabian RD hardy RE hurry REA area REE hurries REL oriel REL oriole PEN hurrying RI awry RII arise RIIN arising RUN horizon RIIS arises RKDN Arcadian RL oral RLE orally RM arm RME army RMEE armies RMM arms X axe X eggs X-10-U-8 extenuate X-10-U-8-8 extenuates X-10-U-A-10 extenuating XAVR Xavior XI-10 exciting XII excise XIIS excises XL excel XLL excels XLN excellent XLNC excellency XLR-8-10 exhilarating XM exam XMM exams XMN examine XMNN examines XMN-N examining XNR-8 exonerate XNR-8-8 exonerates XNR-8-N exonerating XPDN expedient XPDNC expediency XPTT expertise XQQ excuse XQQN excusing XQQS excuses XS excess XS-10-10 existence XTC ecstasy XX axes XX axis Y why YF wife YL while YN wine YNN wines YY wise ZN zein WILLIAM E. BRANDT, JR. Tokyo, Japan |
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