How Many Texting Abbreviations Do You Know?
You're probably familiar with the classic LOL, G2G, or BRB—texting abbreviations that have been used since forever. But there are new ones always being made or popularized, and many you likely haven't even ever heard of. Let's put your knowledge to the test: from TTYL to BFR, here are 10 texting abbreviations everyone knows and 10 that will have you scratching your head.
1. LOL
The most common abbreviation used in texting is, of course, LOL. Meaning "laugh out loud," you text this when you're laughing at something, when you're trying to make your message sound less serious, or when you have nothing better to say. It's truly an abbreviation used for any occasion.
2. TTYL
TTYL stands for "talk to you later." You'd use this abbreviation the same way you'd use BRB, or "be right back." This means you're stepping away for a brief moment (or perhaps even longer), and you'll be available to chat again later.
3. ROFL
A step up from LOL, if you text ROFL it means you're "rolling on the floor laughing." Only, people are rarely ever that invested in a joke that they'd really be on the floor crying from laughter. But it is technically a more genuine reaction than LOL. Probably, anyway.
4. IMHO
IMHO means "in my humble opinion." You'd use this when you're informing others of what you think about a certain topic—or when you want to argue someone else's point. It can also stand for "in my honest opinion" instead.
5. OMW
OMW is another commonly used and known texting abbreviation. In fact, it's so common that typing it on an iOS device, such as a Macbook or iPhone, automatically corrects it to its long form: "On my way." As you probably already know, you'd text this when you're... well, on the way.
6. G2G or GTG
Tired of chatting with someone? Everyone will know the secret is to text G2G or GTG to get someone off your back. Of course, sometimes you actually have to go, but admit it—more often than not, you say you "got to go" when don't want someone to message you anymore.
7. IDK
IDK stands for "I don't know"—but you probably already knew that without us telling you. Used almost as frequently as all the other ones we've mentioned so far, it's sometimes also paired with IDC, which means "I don't care."
8. IKR
When you want to agree with something someone else just said, you can reply with "IKR," meaning, "I know, right?" Don't get this mixed up with IKTR, which stands for "I know that's right" and is used as an affirmative response or when you have a strong opinion on a topic and you're not afraid to voice it.
9. ASAP
Of course, we all know this one: ASAP stands for "as soon as possible." You'd use this when you're letting someone know that you're going to get something done as quickly as you can. For example: Late for a function? You'll be there ASAP!
10. SMH
You'd text SMH when you're disappointed in something someone said, when you're in disbelief or frustrated, or when you're displeased with an outcome. Meaning "shaking my head," this is another one of those versatile texting abbreviations you can use in several contexts.
Those are the abbreviations we all know and use when texting, but how about some only the younger generation will know? Keep reading for 10 you've probably never heard before if you're a boomer.
1. IJBOL
Gone are the boring days of texting LOL when you find something (moderately) funny or amusing. As are the days when ROFL is used. Instead, nowadays it's all about IJBOL—meaning, "I just burst out laughing." (If you're curious about how to say the abbreviation, it's pronounced eej-bowl.)
2. ICYMI
"I call you my Ironman?" "I see you missed it?" What exactly does ICYMI mean? The answer is obvious once you've heard it once, but before then it'll likely leave you scratching your head. In case you missed it, what it stands for is in plain sight.
3. IYKYK
We know what you're thinking: what's with these texting abbreviations getting so long and convoluted? What happened to keeping it short, simple, and to the point, like GTG and BRB? Now, new acronyms seem to popping up left and right, like IYKYK—"if you know, you know."
4. OOMF
Popularized on X (formerly Twitter), OOMF stands for "one of my followers" or "one of my friends." How people pronounce the abbreviation can differ, but most seem to agree it's pronounced as how it looks, like you just got sucker punched and let out a loud, "Oomf!"
5. NPC
You might have also seen people throwing the NPC abbreviation everywhere, but if you're not as up-to-date with social media trends and terms, you probably won't understand what an NPC even is. Unless, of course, you've played enough video games to know it stands for "non-player character."
6. BFR
Sometimes abbreviated to FR or FRFR, this means "be for real." Similar to SMH (shaking my head), BFR is used when you're in disbelief or you're displeased with something. It's almost equivalent to saying, "Are you kidding me?"
7. WYSIWYG
You probably took a look at this one and gave up on trying to decipher what it means or stands for. We don't blame you; we were confused, too. But it's actually more simple than you think: WYSIWYG is "what you see is what you get."
8. TFTF
No, this doesn't stand for what you think it might mean. Instead, this is used mostly on social media platforms where people can follow each other to keep updated. With that said, it might be a little more clear what TFTF means, which is "thanks for the follow."
9. YKYAT
YKYAT being so chronically online when you know every new texting lingo or abbreviation. Didn't catch that? YKYAT stands for "you know you're addicted to." It's not an acronym that's used too often, so you can show off your new knowledge the next time you text your friends or kids.
10. GOAT
Did you ever get a text that just said, "thanks, you're the GOAT" and thought, "wait, why am I a goat?" Don't worry, they're not saying you're the animal goat, they're saying you're "the greatest of all time." It's a huge compliment!
