Abbreviations are used in text messages, in social media comments sections, in emails, in chat rooms, on online message boards, and most other places that people communicate online. They are an efficient way to communicate ideas in virtual spaces, and they are understood by the communities which use them. Below, you will find a list of 50 common abbreviations that are used in the contexts mentioned. Keep in mind that abbreviations are meant to be used in casual written situations and should be avoided in professional and official communications. While the abbreviations below are all in capital letters, when you see them “in the wild”, you will find that all of the abbreviations are commonly used in lowercase letters as well.
AFAIK – as far as I know
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | She said he works in the registration office, but AFAIK, that’s not the case. |
AFK – away from keyboard
| CONTEXTS | online messaging |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | AFK. I’ll be back in 10 minutes. |
AMA – ask me anything
| CONTEXTS | message boards (typically Reddit) |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | Taylor Swift is doing an AMA on Reddit next Friday. |
ATM – at the moment
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | What are you doing atm? |
AWOL – absent without official leave
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | Terrence hasn’t been to work in three days, and no one has been able to get in touch with him. He’s been completely AWOL. |
B4 – before
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | I’ll call you b4 7. |
BF – boyfriend
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | Is that her bf? |
BFF – best friend forever (meaning: best friend)
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | Marsha and Zakia are BFFs. |
BRB – be right back
| CONTEXTS | not common in emails or on message boards |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | Brb. Someone’s at the door. |
CYA – see you
| CONTEXTS | not common on message boards |
|---|---|
| USAGE | “CYA” = “see ya”, is a very short and informal way of saying “I will see you later”. |
| EXAMPLES | Nice chatting with ya. Cya. |
DL – down low
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| USAGE | “Keep it on the dl” means “Keep it private/secret”. |
| EXAMPLES | Keep this information on the dl. |
FTFY – fixed that for you
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| USAGE | Usually used by itself after you quote a person’s message and change something in it, usually to make a joke. |
| EXAMPLES | Ftfy. |
FTW – for the win
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| USAGE | If you type “ftw” after something, it means that something is good and desirable. If you send a picture to a friend and you like the way you look because you used a specific filter, you can be funny and say “I look good here. Photo filters ftw.” |
| EXAMPLES | Long weekends ftw! |
FWIW – for what it’s worth
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| USAGE | Use this when you want to share information or advice that might not be very relevant or helpful, but that offers some form of consolation for the receiver. |
| EXAMPLES | FWIW, I always thought your idea was better. |
GF – girlfriend
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | Have you seen his new gf? |
GG – good game
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| USAGE | You can say this about a sporting event, or after you have played an enjoyable, competitive online game against someone. |
| EXAMPLES | Gg. Both teams played well. |
GTG – got to go
| CONTEXTS | text messaging and online messaging |
|---|---|
| USAGE | Use this to tell someone that you have to stop communicating with them because you have to go do something else in your life. |
| EXAMPLES | Sorry, gtg. I start work in 10 mins. |
IDK – I don’t know
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | I think that’s right, but idk. |
IIRC – if I recall correctly
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | Iirc, Tanya got her university degree last year. |
IMHO – in my humble opinion
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | IMHO, it sounds like you’re not working hard enough. |
IMO – in my opinion
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | IMO, we should contact different suppliers and compare prices. |
IRL – in real life
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| USAGE | Usually relates to video games, and/or the difference between the real world and the digital world. |
| EXAMPLES | I hope you don’t think this sounds weird, but would you like to meet irl? |
ITT – in this thread
| CONTEXTS | message boards |
|---|---|
| USAGE | A thread is a string of communication about a single topic. Use this to specify that you are referring to the current thread. |
| EXAMPLES | I can’t believe how many people ITT believe that the earth is flat! |
JK (also: j/k) – just kidding
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | I’m at work… jk, I’m at home in bed! |
LMAO – laughing my ass off
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | Have you seen the video that Veronica sent to everybody? LMAO! |
LOL – laugh out loud
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | LOL. Check out this picture. |
MYOB – mind your own business
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | Derek needs to learn the definition of MYOB. He’s always gossiping. |
NGL – not gonna lie
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| USAGE | More details: https://www.englishalex.com/post/what-does-ngl-mean-internet-slang |
| EXAMPLES | Sorry that I missed yesterday’s meeting. Ngl, I just totally forgot about it. |
OIC – Oh, I see
| CONTEXTS | all (not common in emails) |
|---|---|
| USAGE | Usually used by itself after someone tells you something you didn’t know, or something that you might not like, but which is still factual. For example, if you message someone that you have romantic interest in and they tell you that they already have a boyfriend or girlfriend, you might respond with “Oic. Sorry, I didn’t know.” |
| EXAMPLES | Oic. Sorry, I didn’t know. |
OMG (also: omigod) – oh my god
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | Omg are you serious?! I don’t believe it! |
OP – original post
| CONTEXTS | message boards |
|---|---|
| USAGE | refers to the first post in a new string of communication |
| EXAMPLES | Make sure you read the OP. Most of your questions are already answered there. |
OT – off-topic
| CONTEXTS | most common on message boards |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | I’m sorry for going OT, but how much did you pay for your shoes? |
P2P – peer-to-peer
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| USAGE | refers to connecting two computers together directly for things like file sharing |
| EXAMPLES | It’s a p2p site with access to a ton of music. |
PPL – people
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | The event was cancelled because not enough ppl bought tickets. |
ROFL – rolling on the floor laughing
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | ROFL! Oh my god, that’s so funny! |
SFW – safe for work
| CONTEXTS | all but not common in emailing |
|---|---|
| USAGE | means you don’t have to worry about people seeing controversial or explicit content at work |
| EXAMPLES | Don’t worry. These images are all SFW. |
SMH – shake my head/shaking my head
| CONTEXTS | most common in texts, online messages, and on message boards |
|---|---|
| USAGE | shows your disappointment or disapproval of something |
| EXAMPLES | Smh. I can’t believe he actually said that. |
SO – significant other
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| USAGE | typically refers to a person’s romantic partner |
| EXAMPLES | Did you know that her SO is a dentist? |
TBH – to be honest
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | Tbh, I didn’t expect the project to take this long. |
TFW – that feeling when
| CONTEXTS | all, but most common in texts and memes |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | Tfw you started the drama, but you’re not part of the drama. (This might be a response to a funny image of a girl who is looking happily at the camera while two kids are fighting behind her.) |
TIL – today I learned
| CONTEXTS | all, but not common in emails |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | TIL that Canada only has one officially bilingual province. @_@ (This can be a response to a picture someone posted that shows the official languages of the Canadian provinces, including “New Brunswick – French and English.”) |
TL;DR – too long; didn’t read
| CONTEXTS | all, but most common on online message boards and comments sections |
|---|---|
| USAGE | Type this when you do not take the time to read a long text. You can also ask for someone to give you a “TLDR version” of a text; for example, “Can someone give me the TL;DR for this? I don’t have time to read 30 paragraphs right now.” |
| EXAMPLES | TL;DR. Can someone tell me the main point of the article above? |
TMI – too much information
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| USAGE | Use when someone gives details that you think are unnecessary or too private to share. |
| EXAMPLES | TMI! I don’t need to know about her personal hygiene habits! |
TOS – terms of service
| CONTEXTS | all |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | Does anyone actually ever read the TOS when they start using an app? |
TTYL – talk to you later
| CONTEXTS | most common in texting and online messaging |
|---|---|
| EXAMPLES | I have to go. Ttyl. |