diff --git a/runtime/doc/api.txt b/runtime/doc/api.txt
index 8c44db1867..748a8ba3bb 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/api.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/api.txt
@@ -1487,7 +1487,7 @@ nvim_set_keymap({mode}, {lhs}, {rhs}, {*opts})             *nvim_set_keymap()*
     Parameters: ~
       • {mode}  Mode short-name (map command prefix: "n", "i", "v", "x", …) or
                 "!" for |:map!|, or empty string for |:map|. "ia", "ca" or
-                "!a" for abbreviation in insert mode, cmdline mode, or both,
+                "!a" for abbreviation in Insert mode, Cmdline mode, or both,
                 respectively
       • {lhs}   Left-hand-side |{lhs}| of the mapping.
       • {rhs}   Right-hand-side |{rhs}| of the mapping.
diff --git a/runtime/doc/news.txt b/runtime/doc/news.txt
index a901c4f13c..20d20d9a90 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/news.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/news.txt
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ The following new APIs or features were added.
 
 • |vim.system()| for running system commands.
 
-• |nvim_set_keymap()| now supports abbreviations.
+• |nvim_set_keymap()| and |nvim_del_keymap()| now support abbreviations.
 
 ==============================================================================
 CHANGED FEATURES                                                 *news-changed*
diff --git a/src/nvim/api/vim.c b/src/nvim/api/vim.c
index 4bbbf644a8..62b4fd9764 100644
--- a/src/nvim/api/vim.c
+++ b/src/nvim/api/vim.c
@@ -1420,7 +1420,7 @@ ArrayOf(Dictionary) nvim_get_keymap(String mode)
 /// @param channel_id
 /// @param  mode  Mode short-name (map command prefix: "n", "i", "v", "x", …)
 ///               or "!" for |:map!|, or empty string for |:map|.
-///               "ia", "ca" or "!a" for abbreviation in insert mode, cmdline mode, or both, respectively
+///               "ia", "ca" or "!a" for abbreviation in Insert mode, Cmdline mode, or both, respectively
 /// @param  lhs   Left-hand-side |{lhs}| of the mapping.
 /// @param  rhs   Right-hand-side |{rhs}| of the mapping.
 /// @param  opts  Optional parameters map: Accepts all |:map-arguments| as keys except |<buffer>|,
diff --git a/test/functional/api/keymap_spec.lua b/test/functional/api/keymap_spec.lua
index e56dfd483a..953402ada3 100644
--- a/test/functional/api/keymap_spec.lua
+++ b/test/functional/api/keymap_spec.lua
@@ -400,6 +400,9 @@ describe('nvim_set_keymap, nvim_del_keymap', function()
   -- maparg(), which does not accept "!" (though it returns "!" in its output
   -- if getting a mapping set with |:map!|).
   local function normalize_mapmode(mode, generate_expected)
+    if mode:sub(-1) == 'a' then
+      mode = mode:sub(1, -2)
+    end
     if not generate_expected and mode == '!' then
       -- Cannot retrieve mapmode-ic mappings with "!", but can with "i" or "c".
       mode = 'i'
@@ -435,7 +438,7 @@ describe('nvim_set_keymap, nvim_del_keymap', function()
 
   -- Gets a maparg() dict from Nvim, if one exists.
   local function get_mapargs(mode, lhs)
-    local mapargs = funcs.maparg(lhs, normalize_mapmode(mode), false, true)
+    local mapargs = funcs.maparg(lhs, normalize_mapmode(mode), mode:sub(-1) == 'a', true)
     -- drop "lhsraw" and "lhsrawalt" which are hard to check
     mapargs.lhsraw = nil
     mapargs.lhsrawalt = nil
@@ -744,7 +747,7 @@ describe('nvim_set_keymap, nvim_del_keymap', function()
   end)
 
   -- Perform exhaustive tests of basic functionality
-  local mapmodes = {'n', 'v', 'x', 's', 'o', '!', 'i', 'l', 'c', 't', ''}
+  local mapmodes = {'n', 'v', 'x', 's', 'o', '!', 'i', 'l', 'c', 't', '', 'ia', 'ca', '!a'}
   for _, mapmode in ipairs(mapmodes) do
     it('can set/unset normal mappings in mapmode '..mapmode, function()
       meths.set_keymap(mapmode, 'lhs', 'rhs', {})
@@ -773,11 +776,9 @@ describe('nvim_set_keymap, nvim_del_keymap', function()
   -- remove some map arguments that are harder to test, or were already tested
   optnames = {'nowait', 'silent', 'expr', 'noremap'}
   for _, mapmode in ipairs(mapmodes) do
-    local printable_mode = normalize_mapmode(mapmode)
-
     -- Test with single mappings
     for _, maparg in ipairs(optnames) do
-      it('can set/unset '..printable_mode..'-mappings with maparg: '..maparg,
+      it('can set/unset '..mapmode..'-mappings with maparg: '..maparg,
           function()
         meths.set_keymap(mapmode, 'lhs', 'rhs', {[maparg] = true})
         eq(generate_mapargs(mapmode, 'lhs', 'rhs', {[maparg] = true}),
@@ -785,7 +786,7 @@ describe('nvim_set_keymap, nvim_del_keymap', function()
         meths.del_keymap(mapmode, 'lhs')
         eq({}, get_mapargs(mapmode, 'lhs'))
       end)
-      it ('can set/unset '..printable_mode..'-mode mappings with maparg '..
+      it ('can set/unset '..mapmode..'-mode mappings with maparg '..
           maparg..', whose value is false', function()
         meths.set_keymap(mapmode, 'lhs', 'rhs', {[maparg] = false})
         eq(generate_mapargs(mapmode, 'lhs', 'rhs'),
@@ -798,7 +799,7 @@ describe('nvim_set_keymap, nvim_del_keymap', function()
     -- Test with triplets of mappings, one of which is false
     for i = 1, (#optnames - 2) do
       local opt1, opt2, opt3 = optnames[i], optnames[i + 1], optnames[i + 2]
-      it('can set/unset '..printable_mode..'-mode mappings with mapargs '..
+      it('can set/unset '..mapmode..'-mode mappings with mapargs '..
           opt1..', '..opt2..', '..opt3, function()
         local opts = {[opt1] = true, [opt2] = false, [opt3] = true}
         meths.set_keymap(mapmode, 'lhs', 'rhs', opts)