There are two types of acids, binary acids and ternary acids. Binary acids are water solutions of hydrogen compounds. These are named by adding the prefix hydro- then the name of the atom combined with hydrogen followed by the suffix -ic followed by the work acid.
Example: HCl is named Hydrochloric acid.
Ternary Acids contain ternary compounds dissolved in water. The cations are hydrogen and the anions are polyatomic ions. Ternary acids are named by saying the polyatomic ion and adding the suffix -ic or -ous. Polyatomics ending in the suffix -ate take the suffix -ic and add the word acid. Polyatomic ions ending in -ite take the suffix -ous and add the word acid at the end.
Example:
NO3-
(Nitrate) joins with hydrogen to form Nitric acid
HNO3
NO2-
(Nitrite) joins with hydrogen to form Nitrous acid
HNO2