AKA stands for “also known as”: it introduces a second name, a nickname or a pseudonym. Maya, aka Bluebird; our cat Milo, aka the sock thief. You'll see aka, AKA or a.k.a. It turns up everywhere, from jokey captions to the news; in formal writing, you can use the full phrase.
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name + aka + alternative name; aka / AKA / a.k.a.
- Maya, aka Bluebird, designed the poster for the event.
- The old reading room, aka the quiet room, is upstairs.
- Our cat Milo, aka the sock thief, has hidden another pair.
What changed
First versionLina, aka as the Puzzle Queen, won the quiz.
RevisionLina, aka the Puzzle Queen, won the quiz.
Known as ends in as, and that ending sticks, so it gets added after aka: aka as. But the as is already inside: also known as. A second as is extra.
An alias is a false name, often with a sense of hiding: the thief used an alias. Aka hides nothing; it just gives another name. For example gives one case out of many, while aka gives the same thing under another name.
Your turn
Complete the introduction of a nickname: Max, ___ the Map Man, will lead the walk.
Show the answer
aka — You need aka without as: also known as already contains that word. Aka as repeats it.
Introduce a friend or a character with a telling nickname. Use aka and add what they did to earn it.
Nora, aka the Plant Doctor, helped us rescue the drooping fern.
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