IT Acronym Guide: Tech and Internet Abbreviations

IT acronym basics: what the letters IT mean

IT is read letter by letter, "I T," and stands for information technology. At work, "call IT" means calling the team that keeps computers, accounts and networks running. As an it abbreviation in a job title, such as IT manager, it names the whole field.

Tech terms tend to be long and technical, like Hypertext Transfer Protocol or graphics processing unit. Engineers use them all day, so the letters stick, and soon the short form is the only one most people know. Many users type URL every day without knowing it means uniform resource locator.

Internet and web acronyms

Watch for IP outside tech. In business and law it often means intellectual property, a very different idea.

Hardware and device short forms

Spec sheets and product boxes are packed with these:

• CPU: central processing unit, the main chip that runs programs.
• GPU: graphics processing unit, the chip that draws images and video.
• RAM: random-access memory, short-term working memory. Said as the word ram.
• SSD: solid-state drive, storage with no moving parts.
• USB: Universal Serial Bus, the common plug and port standard.
• HDMI: High-Definition Multimedia Interface, the cable from a computer or player to a TV.
• LED and OLED: light-emitting diode and organic light-emitting diode, used in lights and screens.
• NFC: near-field communication, behind tap to pay.
• GPS: Global Positioning System, satellite location.
• PC: personal computer.

Files, images and messages

GIF is the famous pronunciation fight. Some say it with a hard g, like gift; others say it with a soft g, like the j in jelly. Both are heard, and both are understood.

Software, coding and testing terms

If you work near developers, these come up in meetings and tickets:

• API: application programming interface, which lets two programs exchange data.
• SQL: Structured Query Language, for asking questions of a database. Said "S Q L" or "sequel."
• IDE: integrated development environment, the program coders write code in.
• UI: user interface, the screens and buttons people use.
• UAT: user acceptance testing, the final check by real users before launch.
• CI: continuous integration, merging and testing code changes often.
• CAD: computer-aided design, used for drawings and 3D models.

Cloud software sold by subscription is called SaaS, software as a service; it is filed under business acronyms because it describes how the product is sold.

Tech acronyms that turned into words

Some technology names began as acronyms and became ordinary lowercase words:

• Laser grew out of a physics phrase about amplifying light, and few people now know the letters behind it.
• Radar and lidar both describe detection and ranging, one with radio waves and one with light.
• Scuba is now a plain noun in phrases like scuba class.

And one famous name is not an acronym at all. Wi-Fi is a trade name chosen to sound catchy. The phrase "wireless fidelity" is often attached to it, though that phrase came afterward and was never the source of the letters.

Tips for reading tech letters

1. Check the device or app. CC at the top of an email means a copy goes to someone else; on a video player it can mean closed captions.
2. Notice the capitals. Lowercase is a clue the term became a word (radar), while mixed case (SaaS) shows small words kept as letters.
3. Look at the number next to it. GB beside RAM is memory size; dpi beside a scan is sharpness.
4. Search the settings menu. Phones and computers often explain a term if you tap the small info icon next to it.

New to short forms in general? Start with what is an acronym, or see famous acronyms for letters outside tech.