Which term describes shortening a longer word, often used informally, such as maths from mathematics?

• A. Clipping
• B. Blending
• C. Acronym
• D. Compounding

Answer: (A)

Clipping describes shortening a longer word by removing one or more syllables or sounds, and it’s a common way we form informal, quicker speech. In maths from mathematics, the tail of the word is trimmed to create a short, everyday form that’s easy to say, while still keeping the meaning clear. This is different from blending, which mixes parts of two different words to make a new term (like brunch from breakfast and lunch). It’s also not an acronym or initialism, where you take initial letters to form a new word or pronounce each letter separately (like NASA). And it’s not compounding, which joins two complete words to form a new one (like notebook). So the term that best describes maths shortening from mathematics is clipping.