What does ETF stand for?

ETF stands for Exchange-Traded Fund. "Fund" means it pools money to hold a portfolio of investments, and "exchange-traded" means the shares trade on a stock exchange.

Because ETFs trade like stocks, you can place market or limit orders, and you'll see bid/ask spreads. This makes them flexible, especially for investors who like intraday pricing.

Even though the name is simple, ETF products vary a lot. Two ETFs can both be "exchange-traded funds" but hold completely different assets (stocks vs bonds) and pursue very different goals (broad market vs a niche theme).