Which term describes a shortened form of a longer word used in everyday speech, such as 'ad' from 'advertisement'?

• A. Abbreviation
• B. Clipping
• C. Acronym
• D. Back-formation

Answer: (B)

Clipping is the way we shorten a longer word by trimming part of it to make a new, shorter form that we use in everyday speech. Here, advertisement has been shortened to ad by taking away parts of the word rather than turning initials into a new word or creating a new word by removing an affix. This is a classic example of clipping: a common process in informal language, just as fridge comes from refrigerator or gym from gymnasium. It’s broader to say abbreviation includes many kinds of shortened forms, but clipping specifically involves cutting the word itself to produce a shorter spoken form. Acronyms use initial letters pronounced as a word (like NASA), and back-formation would create a new word by removing an apparent affix, which isn’t what's happening here.