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<acronym>

Deprecated in HTML5 specifications. Use <abbr> instead.

⚠️ DEPRECATED

Quick Answer

What was the <acronym> tag?

The <acronym> tag was used in HTML4 to mark acronyms like NASA or NATO. It has been deprecated in HTML5 and completely removed from the specification. Use the <abbr> tag instead for both abbreviations and acronyms, with the title attribute to provide the full form.

Definition and Usage

⚠️ obsolete and non-conforming in modern HTML
The <acronym> tag is obsolete and non-conforming in modern HTML. Use the <abbr> tag instead.

The <acronym> tag was used in HTML 4 to define an acronym.

An acronym is a word formed from the initial letters of other words (e.g., "NATO", "NASA", "ASAP").

In HTML5, the <abbr> tag should be used for both abbreviations and acronyms.

Browser support and standards

Browser rendering and modern HTML conformance are different questions. Check the current element reference for the browsers and features your project needs; the older source version table is not a current compatibility guarantee.

Read the MDN element reference

Old Usage (HTML 4)

In HTML 4, the <acronym> tag was used like this:

Old HTML 4 Example (Don't Use)

<!-- HTML 4 - DEPRECATED -->
<p
  >The <acronym title="North Atlantic Treaty Organization"
    >NATO</acronym
  > was established in 1949.</p
>

Modern Alternative - Use <abbr>

Instead of <acronym>, use the <abbr> tag:

Correct HTML5 Way

<!-- HTML5 - USE THIS -->
<p
  >The <abbr title="North Atlantic Treaty Organization"
    >NATO</abbr
  > was established in 1949.</p
>

Multiple Acronyms with <abbr>

<p>
  <abbr title="National Aeronautics and Space Administration">NASA</abbr> and
  <abbr title="European Space Agency">ESA</abbr>
  collaborate on space missions.
</p>

Common Acronyms

<ul
  >
  <li
    ><abbr title="As Soon As Possible">ASAP</abbr
    > - urgent request</li
  >
  <li
    ><abbr title="Frequently Asked Questions">FAQ</abbr
    > - common questions</li
  >
  <li
    ><abbr title="For Your Information">FYI</abbr
    > - informational</li
  >
  <li
    ><abbr title="Rest Application Programming Interface">REST API</abbr
    > - web service</li
  >
</ul
>

Why Was It Deprecated?

  • Redundancy: The difference between <acronym> and <abbr> was minimal and confusing
  • Simplification: HTML5 simplified the specification by using only <abbr>
  • Same Functionality: Both tags served essentially the same purpose
  • Better Semantics: <abbr> covers both abbreviations and acronyms

Migration Guide

✅ How to Update Your Code:
  1. Find all instances of <acronym> in your HTML
  2. Replace <acronym> with <abbr>
  3. Replace </acronym> with </abbr>
  4. Keep the title attribute unchanged
  5. Test your page to ensure functionality remains the same

Before and After

<!-- BEFORE (Old HTML 4) -->
<acronym title="World Wide Web">WWW</acronym>

<!-- AFTER (Modern HTML5) -->
<abbr title="World Wide Web">WWW</abbr>

Try it Yourself

Interactive Example

Use <abbr> instead of <acronym>. Hover to see the full meaning:

NASA launched the mission.

NATO has 31 member countries.

Please reply ASAP.

Related Tags

  • <abbr>

    ✅ Use this instead

  • <dfn>

    Defines a definition term