[1] Acronyms can be formed from strings of single initial letters, e.g. פזצט״א pazátsta (for פול, זחל, צפה, טווח, אש), or multiple initial letters, e.g. ארה״ק (for ארץ הקודש, the Holy Land) or ראשל״צ ráshlats (for ראשון לציון, Rishon LeZion).
[3][better source needed] Often (and especially when they describe a noun), Hebrew acronyms are pronounced by the insertion of a vowel sound (usually [a]) between the letters.
When one of the letters is vav or yud, these may be read as vowels ("u"/"o" and "i") instead: דו״ח (duakh/dokh = דין וחשבון, judgement and account); אדמו״ר (admor = אדוננו מורנו ורבנו, Hasidic rebbe); שו״ת (shut = שאלות ותשובות, questions and answers); סכו״ם (sakum = סכין כף ומזלג, knife spoon and fork); תפו״ז (tapuz = תפוח זהב, orange, lit.
They all begin with Mahara-, as an acronym of the words מורנו הרב רבי ... (Morenu Ha-Rav rabi ..., "Our teacher the Rabbi ...").
Because each Hebrew letter also has a numeric value, embedding an acrostic may give an additional layer of meaning to these works.
One purpose of acrostics was as a mnemonic or a way for an author to weave his name as a signature, or some other spiritual thought, into his work, at a time when much was memorized.