“Please enter your PIN number at the terminal.”
Redundancies Entry 282 / 1011 60-second read
PIN Number
PIN stands for 'Personal Identification Number', so adding 'number' is redundant.
The comparisoni
“Please enter your PIN at the terminal.”
More examplesii
01
Enter your PIN number to access your account.
Enter your PIN to access your account.
02
The ATM asked for my PIN number.
The ATM asked for my PIN.
03
Your PIN number should be four digits.
Your PIN should be four digits.
The ruleiii
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ACRONYM EXPANSION RULE: When using an acronym, don't repeat the last word.
Like 'ATM machine', many people know the acronym PIN but forget that the 'N' stands for 'Number'. Adding 'number' feels like helpful clarification, but it creates a redundancy that's grammatically unnecessary.
Memory aidiv
Remember it like this
Say the full form: 'Personal Identification Number Number'—does that sound right? No! That's how you know 'PIN number' is redundant. Just say 'PIN'.