Avoid using abbreviations if you possibly can. Do not use them in public information materials. Your readers do not want to keep having to check what an abbreviation stands for, plus capital letters are always harder to read.
The exceptions are abbreviations that have become part of the culture, such as RCMP, CBC and MLA.
There are different types of abbreviations. For example:
- acronyms are abbreviations that we form from the first letters of a name or phrase and can say as a word, such as NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration); and
- initialisms are abbreviations that we form from the first letters of a name or phrase and say each letter, such as CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Company).
Rather than use an abbreviation for a program, department or branch, use the name in full, such as “the Yukon Mineral Exploration Program” or “Health and Social Services” and then after that just write “the program” or “the department.”
am and pm
Do not include periods in the abbreviations a.m. and p.m., which are short for the Latin "ante meridiem" and "post meridiem".
Not: The meeting will take place at 9 p.m., The meeting will take place at 9pm
But: The meeting will take place at 9 pm.
Jurisdictions and countries
View the Jurisdictions and countries section at Spelling.
Government of Yukon
Never use an abbreviation for the Government of Yukon in public materials. Write the full name or, for example, just write “the government” or “we”. If you want to use an abbreviation internally, many staff use "YG".
Not: YTG, Yg
But: YG (internally only)
Rather than use an abbreviation for a department or branch, use the name in full, such as “the Yukon Mineral Exploration Program” or “Health and Social Services” and then after that just write “the program” or “the department”.
i.e., and e.g.,
Avoid using i.e., and e.g., if you can as not everyone knows what they mean and lots of people get them mixed up. Use words instead.
If you do use them, include periods and a comma.
Not: i.e. or ie
But: that is, specifically, i.e.,
Not: e.g. or eg
But: for example, e.g.,
If you need to use them, remember that e.g., is short for exempli gratia, which means “for example” and i.e., is short for id est, which means “that is". For example:
There are several communities in the Yukon, e.g., Faro, Mayo and Haines Junction.
There are three communities in the Yukon with a population of more than 1,000, i.e., Whitehorse, Watson Lake and Dawson.
Measurements
Write measurements in full.
Not: 90 kg, two ml, 100 m
But: 90 kilograms, two millilitres, 100 metres
If you have to use an abbreviation
If you feel you must use an abbreviation, make sure you write the name in full first and then immediately write the abbreviation in brackets afterwards. For example, “the Communications Review Committee (CRC)…”
Create a glossary
If you find you need to use several abbreviations, include them in a glossary and put the glossary at the beginning of your document, not at the end. Make it as easy as possible for your readers to understand what you've written.