Common text abbreviations and how to use them

February 20, 2024

We champion SMS marketing best practices. That includes recognizing the rise of text slang and abbreviations.

Text abbreviations are shortened versions of a word or phrase used to save time. They’re also helpful when you have to stay within a limited character count.

They gained popularity in digital communities—especially among younger users—where quick, concise communication is key.

In the past, deciphering text-speak abbreviations was for cool moms and dads who wanted to fit in with their teens.

Today, businesses of every size are starting to recognize the value of incorporating text abbreviations into their campaigns to attract, engage, and foster relationships with their customers.

Learning text abbreviations is a must for any marketer who wants to keep up with the speed and brevity of today’s bite-sized communication style.

The challenge is to adapt to text-ese (an evolving language by itself) and be able to use abbreviations while maintaining proper texting etiquette and providing value at the same time.

If you’re still baffled every time you read IIRC, BRB, and IDK, this cheat sheet of SMS abbreviations and internet acronyms commonly used is for you.

Sure, text abbreviations might make your brand look and sound a little cooler, but that’s not the real reason. By using text abbreviations, you can connect with younger customers and save space in your messages.

• SMS allows only 160 characters per message.
• Messages longer than 160 characters are split into multiple parts.
• This can affect readability and cost.

Note: MMS messages provide a much higher character count of 1,600, but they also cost a bit more than sending SMS messages.

You can totally overuse text abbreviations and make a mess of your messaging. However, if you add them strategically and make sure they’re clear to your recipients, they are a helpful tool in your SMS marketing playbook.

The most popular SMS abbreviations can vary depending on who you’re texting and where they live. Regional and generational differences can affect the acronyms people commonly use.

1. Asap – As soon as possible: Can you send me that report asap?
2. ATM – At the moment: I can’t talk, I’m at work ATM
3. BRB – Be right back: Sorry, just grabbing a coffee – BRB!
4. Brt – Be right there: Found the place, brt!
5. BTW – By the way: I’m on the way, BTW should I bring anything?
6. FTW – For the win: Did you see the game last night? Bills FTW!
7. FWIW – For what it’s worth: FWIW, I think it’s going to rain anyway.
8. Fyi – For your information: Fyi, the meeting is at 2 pm today
9. Hbu – How about you: I’m doing great, hbu?
10. HMU – Hit me up: If you need anything just HMU!
11. IDK – I don’t know: The traffic’s delayed me, IDK what time I’ll get there!
12. Ig – I guess: I mean if you’re going too ig I will
13. IIRC – If I remember correctly: IIRC, he still works there.
14. IMHO/IMO – In my humble opinion/in my opinion: IMHO, coffee is way better than tea.
15. Istg – I swear to god: If this traffic doesn’t let up I’m gonna be late, istg
16. Iykyk – If you know, you know: That deli down the street is the best lunch place around. Iykyk
17. LMK – Let me know: LMK if you need anything from the grocery store.
18. LOL – Laugh out loud: That’s so funny, LOL!
19. Ngl – Not gonna lie: Ngl, I’m ready for Friday
20. NVM – Nevermind: NVM about grabbing the chips, I found some at home!
21. OG – Original gangsters (used for old friends): You’ll love her, she’s one of my OGs!
22. OMG – Oh my God/goodness: OMG I can’t believe that happened!
23. OMW – On my way: I’ve just left, OMW now!
24. Ong – On god (I swear): I’m way too sick to work today, ong
25. OOTD – Outfit of the day: What’s your OOTD? I don’t know which shoes to wear!
26. Rq – real quick: Can you check the deadline for me rq?
27. Sm – So much: You’re a lifesaver, thank you sm
28. SMH/SMDH – Shaking my head/shaking my darn head: I can’t believe you just said that, SMH.
29. TBD – To be determined: The time and place is TBD!
30. TTYL – Talk to you later: I’ve got to run, TTYL.
31. Wya – Where you at: Just got here, wya?
32. Yw – You’re welcome: Thanks for the help, yw

The following list includes popular romantic text abbreviations commonly used to express affection or refer to relationships in text messages.

Texting abbreviations can be casual, but you’ll also need quick and easy ways to tell that special someone you’re thinking about them.

1. BF – Boyfriend
2. GF – Girlfriend
3. ILY – I Love You
4. MCM – Man Crush Monday
5. WCW – Woman Crush Wednesday

Browse the table below for additional SMS abbreviations and internet acronyms, with their meanings, that are widely used in digital communication.

This list of SMS abbreviations and Internet acronyms is far from complete. Like culture, text-ese evolves over time. As a result, new acronyms and SMS abbreviations are introduced and used every day. As a result, new acronyms and SMS abbreviations are introduced and used every day.

These are a few of our favorite text abbreviations that you can be confident most people will know. Give one a try today!

Key takeaways: This table covers widely recognized SMS and internet abbreviations, providing a quick reference for commonly used shorthand in personal and business messaging. Using these can help save characters and communicate efficiently, but always consider your audience and context.

Abbreviation/acronym	Meaning
ABT	About
ADR	All Due Respect
AFAIK	As far as I know
AKA	Also known as
AMA	Ask Me Anything
ASAP	As soon as possible
B4	Before
BBS	Be Back Soon
BC	Because
BOGO	Buy one get one
BTS	Behind The Scenes
BYOB	Bring Your Own Beverage
CTA	Call to action
DAE	Does Anyone Else
DIY	Do it yourself
DL	Down Low
DND	Do not disturb
EOD	End of day
FOMO	Fear of missing out
Frl	For real
G2G	Got to go
GOAT	Greatest Of All Time
GG	Good game
HBD	Happy Birthday
HW	Homework
IDC	I Don’t Care
IK	I Know
IKR	I Know Right
IMU	I Miss You
IOU	I Owe You
IRL	In Real Life
ISO	In Search Of
JIC	Just in case
JK	Just Kidding
JW	Just wondering
MFW	My Face When
MYOB	Mind your own business
N/A	Not available/not applicable
NBD	No Big Deal
NP	No problem
NSFW	Not Safe For Work
OFC	Of Course
OOO	Out of the office
PDA	Public Display (of) Affection
POV	Point of view
PSA	Public Service Announcement
QOTD	Quote of the day
RIP	Rest In Peace
RN	Right now
ROFL	Rolling On (the) Floor Laughing
RSVP	Répondez S’il Vous Plaît (Respond Please)
SFW	Safe For Work
T&C	Terms and conditions
TBA	To Be Announced
TBH	To be honest
TFW	That Feeling When
TGIF	Thank god it’s Friday
TIA	Thanks in advance
TLC	Tender loving care
TMRW	Tomorrow
TTYS	Talk To You Soon
TY	Thank you
TYIA	Thank You In Advance
TYVM	Thank You Very Much
UGC	User-generated content
YW	You’re welcome
W/E	Whatever
W/O	Without
WYD	What (are) You Doing
WYSIWYG	What you see is what you get
YOLO	You Only Live Once
YSK	You Should Know

Here is a list of common texting slang terms, their meanings, and example uses to help you understand informal language used in SMS and online chat.

Like text abbreviations, texting slang can be confusing if you’ve never encountered them before. Take a look at the most common slang examples below.

1. Gucci – Good, cool. Ex. “I got us tickets to the concert.” “Gucci.”
   “Gucci” means something is good or cool.
2. It gives/it’s not giving – It’s good (or “It reminds me of…”)/It’s not good. Ex. “Yeah, I saw the weather for tomorrow, it’s not giving.”
   “It gives” or “it’s not giving” describes whether something is good or fits the situation.
3. Lowkey – Moderately; kind of. Ex. “This new song is lowkey my favorite.
   “Lowkey” means somewhat or kind of, suggesting something is true but not strongly.
4. Mid – Mediocre. Ex. “I don’t know, that movie was kind of mid.”
   “Mid” is used to describe something average or mediocre.
5. No cap – No lie; I’m not lying. Ex. “Did you get tickets to the concert for real?” “No cap.”
   “No cap” is a way of saying “no lie” or “I’m being honest.”
6. Sending me – Used to describe something that excites or humors you. Ex. “This new song is sending me!”
   “Sending me” is used to react to something that makes you laugh or excites you a lot.
7. Slay – Good (or an acknowledgment like “okay”). Ex. “Did you see Lady Gaga’s Oscar look? Such a slay.”
   “Slay” means to do something exceptionally well or to look fantastic.
8. Sus – Suspicious or suspect. Ex. “I got us tickets to the concert that’s sold out.” “That’s sus.”
   “Sus” is short for “suspicious” and is used when something seems off or questionable.
9. Vibe – A general feeling, a mood (usually a good one). Ex. “We had a great time, it was a total vibe.”
   “Vibe” refers to the overall mood or feeling of a person, place, or event.

Review the list below to learn the most frequently used social media abbreviations, acronyms, and shorthand found on popular platforms.

1. AMA – Ask me anything
2. BR – BeReal
3. DM – Direct Message
4. ELI5 – Explain like I’m 5
5. FB – Facebook
6. FBF – Flashback Friday
7. FF – Follow Friday (Twitter)
8. FYP – For You Page
9. GRWM – Get ready with me
10. HMU – Hit me up
11. HT  – Hat Tip (Twitter)
12. IG – Instagram (Append this to “Insta”)
13. IM – Instant Message
14. Insta – A shortened name for Instagram
15. LI – Short for “LinkedIn”
16. MFW – My feeling when
17. MT – Modified Tweet
18. OOTD – Outfit of the day
19. OP – Original Post
20. PM – Personal Message or Private Message
21. QOTD – Quote of the day
22. RT – Retweet
23. SC – Snapchat
24. SM – Social Media
25. SMP – Social media platform
26. TBT – Throwback Thursday
27. TIL – Today I learned
28. TT – TikTok
29. Twits – Short for “Twitter”
30. UGC – User-Generated Content
31. WA – WhatsApp
32. X – previously named Twitter
33. YT  – YouTube

The following list covers business-related text abbreviations and their definitions, designed to help you communicate more efficiently with colleagues and clients.

Texting is also common among coworkers and customers. These abbreviations will help you navigate the world of professional texting.

1. AFK – Away From Keyboard
2. B2C – Business To Consumer
3. B2C – Business to Consumer
   We serve all kinds of B2C companies, from ecommerce to tech support.
4. DSC – Dedicated Short Code
   A unique 5- to 6-digit number that your business can use to send SMS or MMS messages (this article provides more information on all our number types.
5. EOD – End Of Day
6. EOD – End of Day
   Good morning! Our year-end sale is only until EOD. See you at our store!
7. EOM – End Of Month
8. EOW – End Of Week
9. F2F – Face To Face
10. FTFY – Fixed That For You
    Thank you for calling customer support! We’ve addressed your concern as of 9 PM today. FTFY!
11. FW – Forward
12. ICYMI – In Case You Missed It
    ICYMI, The Expanse Season 3 is now on our archives. Upgrade your account today to get access!
13. MMS – Multimedia Messaging Service
    Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) allows you to add media like audio, video, and GIFs to your texts.
14. NRN – No Reply Necessary
15. OOO – Out Of Office
16. P2P – Peer To Peer
17. SaaS – Software As A Service
18. SMS – Short Message Service
    SMS is a message type you can use to send and receive texts over a cell network.
19. TL;DR – Too Long; Didn’t Read
    Good day! You will be receiving an in-depth explanation on how to file your claim with us in your email today. For a TL;DR version, call us at 555-123-4567 between 9 am- 5 pm Mon-Fri.
20. TYVM– Thank You Very Much
    TYVM for your purchase! See you at our next sale in the fall.
21. WFH – Work From Home
22. WIP – Work in Progress – If you’re having trouble exporting files, contact customer support at email@email.com. Bug fixes are a WIP by the dev team.
23. YTD – Year To Date

“Clear and concise messaging is essential for effective SMS communication, which is why standard abbreviations play such an important role in the industry,” says the CTIA, a leading association for the U.S. wireless communications sector.

As with any industry, the world of business texting and text marketing is rich with jargon and abbreviations. And when you’re up against a tight character limit, the temptation to shorten your words is real.

In an effort to help you avoid confusion or misdirection with any of your SMS compliance messaging, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (CTIA) developed a list of approved abbreviations you can use in your text marketing that will help you save space without sacrificing clarity.

Approved CTIA abbreviations include:

For more details, see the CTIA Short Code Monitoring Handbook.

• Msg instead of Message
• / instead of Per
• Txt instead of Text
• mo, ea. mo. or /mth instead of Per Month
• Msg&Data Rates May Apply instead of Message and Data Rates May Apply

1. AOV – Average Order Value
2. BOGO – Buy One Get One
3. CLV – Customer Lifetime Value
4. CMS – Content Management System
5. CPA – Cost Per Acquisition
6. CPV – Cost Per View
7. CR  – Conversion Rate
8. CRM – Customer Relationship Management
9. CRO – Conversion Rate Optimization
10. ICP – Ideal Customer Profile
11. LTV – Lifetime Value
12. PPC – Pay Per Click
13. SCN – Short Code Number
14. SEM – Search Engine Marketing
15. SEO – Search Engine Optimization
16. SERP – Search Engine Results Page
17. SMB – Small/medium business
18. SOV – Share Of Voice
19. TOS – Terms of service
20. WOM – Word Of Mouth

1. BAE – Before Anyone Else
2. BFF – Best Friend Forever
3. DTR – Define the relationship
4. FWB – Friends With Benefits
5. ILYSM – I Love You So Much
6. LOML  – Love Of My Life
7. LTR – Long-term relationship
8. LYLAS – Love You Like A Sister
9. OTP – One true pairing
10. PDA – Public display of affection
11. SO – Significant Other
12. XOXO – Hugs and kisses
13. FBO – Facebook Official (when a couple declares their relationship publicly on social media)

Now that you’ve reviewed our comprehensive list of abbreviations for text messages, let’s look at a few examples. Here are some ways you might use text abbreviations in real life to manage your SMS character count and communicate a clear message.

Let’s say you want to notify customers they’ve got one last chance to take advantage of your store’s buy-one–get-one-free promotion. Your text could read something like this:

Now that you’re an expert in business text abbreviations, your next step is to familiarize yourself with the do’s and don’ts of using them.

Our lists are a great way to keep on top of the must-know text speak for your professional and personal life.

1. Don’t cram too many texting abbreviations in one text.
   What would it feel like if you receive a text from your insurance company saying: Sup! ICYMI, CYE for instrux on policy renewal. SSIA. Sounds rude, right?
   
2. Be creative, but not unprofessional. When appropriate, add images and GIFs using MMS marketing.
   Your words and acronyms don’t have to do all of the talking. It’s easy to attach images and graphics to your messages as well. Use these to make your messages more engaging.
   
3. Text like an adult. Don’t use shorthand like “2” for “to” or “U” for “you.”
   Texting like this does save precious characters—but it also looks unprofessional. Compare these two texts:
   
   “Go2 Meg’s 2day asap 4 a gr8 deal! 20% off ne slice wen u sho dis text.”
   
   “Visit Meg’s ASAP for a great deal! 20% off any slice when you show this text.”
   
   Which text looks like it’s from a respectable business?
   
4. Only use text abbreviations your audience will understand.
   Knowing your audience helps you decide which abbreviations are appropriate and which ones aren’t.
   
   For instance, you wouldn’t want to text “Hello, this is Joe, tech support for X Cable. Responding to your query, FTFY!” to a 70-year old needing help with his cable. In this instance it would be better to write out, “Be seeing you.”
5. Proofread before you hit send! A simple typo with an abbreviation can completely change the meaning of your text.  A quick double-check can save you from embarrassing misunderstandings.
   
   By integrating these additional facts into your existing content, you’ll provide a richer resource for readers interested in text abbreviations, enhancing their understanding and practical application of these terms in both personal and professional contexts.

There are hundreds of word abbreviations out there, so any fear of using slang abbreviations for texting is warranted. The best thing to do is play it safe. Nobody’s going to be on your case if you type out the full phrase.

However, if you do want to start incorporating more abbreviation in your text messages these are two key things to avoid:

In a communication method that’s now over 30 years old and rapidly evolving, it’s essential to stay up to date with current trends. In fact, Gartner projects global business mobile-messaging traffic will grow by over 20% annually through 2025, reflecting the widespread adoption of cultural impact of SMS. As texting becomes further integrated into our daily lives and business communication, some abbreviations and slang inevitably fall out of fashion.

But meanings change, just as they do in our everyday language. Keep an eye out for text message abbreviations that others around you are using. This is not only to gauge appropriateness, but also to keep on top of what phrases are still commonly used.

Sure, most young people can understand text abbreviations just fine. But nobody wants to read a full message written in them. Avoid:

When in doubt simply take your time to type out the full word. It’s the fail-safe way of making sure your text messaging is read in the correct context.

Just like addressing different people in day to day life, SMS requires you to adapt your speech based on who you’re talking to. Some of the popular SMS abbreviations you use on your friends might not be appropriate for your boss or a client.

Let’s say you’re hosting an in-person event and you want to let your contacts know about it by sending out a text blast. A few text abbreviations can help you craft a concise SMS message:

When you first get new SMS subscribers to opt in to your text messages, a quick note to confirm, say thanks, and welcome them is important. Using text abbreviations not only helps limit character count, it also comes across as friendly and conversational.

Let’s say someone uses an SMS keyword to subscribe to daily tips you send via text. Your welcome message could read like this:

Besides being friendly this example also uses abbreviations to help ensure you follow rules for SMS compliance.

Text messages are a good way for local businesses to let loyal customers know if there are changes in hours of operations or disruptions to the normal schedule. Text abbreviations help you communicate with people quickly and concisely:

Finally, here’s how you could take advantage of text abbreviations when using SMS to collect customer feedback:

• Text abbreviations help save character count, convey messages quickly, and can add a conversational tone when use appropriately.
• Businesses can use text abbreviations to engage audiences, but should prioritize professionalism and readability for their target market.
• Not all abbreviations are universally understood—know your audience and use only those that make sense in context.
• Compliance is critical in SMS marketing; use CTIA-approved abbreviations to ensure clarity and avoid regulatory issues.
• Overuse or use of outdated slang can harm communication—moderation and clarity are key for effective messaging.