Abbreviations and units are different things. One of them is written in informal English (or to get a message out quickly). The other is used when talking about units of measurement. This article will look into the abbreviations available for “minutes.”
What Is The Correct Abbreviation For “Minutes”?
The correct abbreviation for “minutes” is “mins.” An abbreviation is a shorter form of the word, which is used mainly in informal writing. If you want the correct unit of measurement, you should always use “min.” This applies even when dealing with the plural of “minutes.”
As an abbreviation, you might find “mins” used in the following contexts:
- I’ll give you sixty mins, but I really have to leave if you’re not ready by then.
As a unit of measurement, it might be more common formally (in something like scientific reports):
- It was a 60 min test. Everything was accounted for.
What Is The Correct Abbreviation For “Minute”?
The correct abbreviation for “minute” is “min.” We use this as the singular form because there are not multiple “minutes” to refer to (thus making the “s” irrelevant at the end). The unit of measurement for the single minute stays the same at “min.”
Again, informal writing will be where you find single minutes the most:
- It only took me one min. I was really impressed with how I did!
But formal writing is more likely to use “min” as a unit that refers to singular or plural minutes:
- The experiment lasted 20 min.
Is “min” or “mins” Used The Most?
According to Google Ngram Viewer, “min” is used the most. “Mins” is more common when referring to the plural form, but “min” works best for both the singular form and units of measurements referring to multiple minutes.
While it’s more common to come across minutes as a plural (since you can only say “one minute” but everything else uses “minutes”), “min” is still more popular.
That’s because it applies to more situations. You’ll also find that “min” works in formal writing because it is not an abbreviation.
“Min” is the officially recognized unit of measurement for “minute.” We can refer to the International System of Units to clarify this.
Is It Correct To Use “m” As The Abbreviation For “Minute”?
“M” is not correct as the abbreviation for minutes. We use “m” as a unit for “meters,” which measures distance. Using it to as the symbol of “minute” would not help us to understand what someone means.
For example, if someone wanted to say this:
- I lasted for 5 minutes.
And ended up writing this:
- I lasted for 5 m.
It would imply that they only managed to travel 5 meters before they had to stop doing whatever they were doing.
Is It “min” Or “min.”?
“Min” does not require a period. We can simply write “min” without the period at the end to show that we’re using the abbreviation for “minute.” The only time a period will come after it is if we end a sentence with it.
According to Google Ngram Viewer, “min” is the more popular choice. The clear difference in usage between the two abbreviations shows that the period after “min” is unnecessary.
- Correct: It will only take me 1 min to complete this task. Just bear with me.
- Incorrect: You have one min. to get it done; otherwise, I’ll be leaving without you.
Is It “mins” Or “mins.”?
The same rules apply when using the plural form. “Mins” is correct without a period. You do not need to use a period (unless ending a sentence with it) because it does not help us to establish the abbreviated form of “minutes.”
According to Google Ngram Viewer, “mins” is more popular without the period. This shows that it’s the best choice when you’re writing the plural abbreviation.
- Correct: I’ll give you five more mins to do it.
- Incorrect: You’ve only got three mins. to get this done.
When Is It Appropriate To Use The Abbreviation For “Minutes”?
You can use an abbreviation for minutes when you’re writing informally. It’s most common to see this used in text messages, as you will often abbreviate longer words to help you get your message typed out and sent quicker.
Typically, you won’t want to abbreviate “minutes” formally. The only time you would is if you’re using “min” as a unit in a scientific or academic paper. Only then would it make sense to abbreviate “minutes.”
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Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
