The standard association abbreviation is Assn., and Assoc. is a common second choice. Both are understood in American English, both take a period, and both are capitalized when they are part of an organization's name, as in "Riverside Homeowners Assn."
You will find these short forms on letterheads, membership cards, invoices, sports scores, legal papers and narrow form fields. In ordinary sentences, though, most writers spell the word out. And in acronyms such as NBA or PTA, association shrinks all the way down to a single capital A.
Quick facts
Standard forms
Assn. and Assoc.Plural
Assns. or Assocs.Period
Yes in American style; often dropped in British styleCapital letter
Capitalize inside a proper name, lowercase otherwiseLegal citations
Ass'n, with an apostropheIn acronyms
Just A, as in PTA or NCAANot to be confused with
Assoc. for associate or associated
Which association abbreviation should you use?
There is no single official form, but some versions are far more common than others.
| Form | How common | Where it shows up |
|---|---|---|
| Assn. | Most common | Organization names, sports listings, business directories, addresses |
| Assoc. | Very common | Letterheads, signs, membership cards, company names |
| Assn / Assoc | Common | The same forms without a period, typical in British writing and tight database fields |
| Ass'n | Specialized | Legal citations and court documents |
| A | Inside acronyms | PTA, NBA, YMCA, HOA |
A good rule: pick Assn. or Assoc. and use it the same way everywhere in one document. If an organization uses one form in its own name, follow that.
Periods, capitals and plurals
- Period: American style adds a period because the abbreviation cuts off the end of the word. Write Assn. at the end of a sentence with just one period, not two.
- Capitals: capitalize it in a proper name ("State Teachers Assn.") and keep it lowercase in general use ("a trade assn."), though the lowercase version is rare outside notes.
- Plural: add s before the period, giving Assns. or Assocs. Example: "Both neighborhood assns. met on Tuesday."
- Possessive: "the Assn.'s rules" works, but it looks clumsy. Spelling out the word reads better.
Where you will see Assn. and Assoc.
The short forms appear wherever space is tight or the full name is long.
On a mailing label: "Lakeview Condo Owners Assn., 200 Shore Rd., Unit 4" Here Assn. stands in for association so the whole name fits on one line.
- Sports listings: youth league standings may list "Valley Youth Soccer Assn." to fit a narrow column.
- Forms and databases: employer or club fields may have a character limit.
- Business cards and signs: "Downtown Merchants Assoc." is a familiar storefront style.
- Bank and tax records: account names for clubs and nonprofits are often shortened.
Association acronym examples
When a group's name becomes an acronym, the word association is reduced to its first letter. Many familiar names work this way.
| Acronym | Full name |
|---|---|
| NBA | National Basketball Association |
| NCAA | National Collegiate Athletic Association |
| PTA | Parent Teacher Association |
| HOA | Homeowners Association |
| YMCA | Young Men's Christian Association |
| NAACP | National Association for the Advancement of Colored People |
Not every A means association. In NASA it is Administration, and in AAA only the last A is association, since the first two are American and Automobile. Always check the full name before you assume.
Assoc.: association or associate?
The trickiest part of this abbreviation is that Assoc. also shortens associate and associated. "Assoc. Prof." on a faculty page means associate professor, and "Smith & Assoc." on a law office door means Smith and Associates. For the second meaning, see our page on the associate abbreviation.
If confusion is possible, choose Assn. for association. It can only mean one thing, which is a big reason many editors prefer it.
Sample sentences
- "Dues for the Maple Street Neighborhood Assn. are collected each spring."
- "Send the form to the Retired Nurses Assoc. office."
- "The two parent assns. will hold a joint bake sale."
- "Employer: Tri County Water Users Assn."
- "The full association name is printed on the back of your card."
For more shortened words like this one, visit our common abbreviations hub, which groups them by topic.
Questions people ask
Is it Assn or Assoc?
Both are correct. Assn. is a little more common and cannot be mistaken for associate, while Assoc. is often used on signs and letterheads. Choose one and stick with it in a single document.
How do you write the plural of Assn.?
Add an s before the period: Assns. The same goes for Assocs. Many writers simply spell out associations in the plural because it reads more smoothly.
In an association acronym, which letter is the word association?
In names like PTA, HOA and NBA, the letter A stands for association. The word is reduced to its first letter like every other word in the name.
Should I abbreviate association in a formal letter?
In the body of a letter, spell it out. Use Assn. or Assoc. only where the organization uses it in its own name or where space is limited, such as an address block.
What is the abbreviation for association?
The most common abbreviation for association is Assn., with Assoc. close behind. Both end with a period in American writing and are capitalized inside an organization's name.