Limited time coupled with hefty text messaging charges have made texting shorthand a necessity. Also known as text message abbreviations, these shorthand methods of getting your point across are surprisingly universal, though they can certainly be confusing for newcomers to the world of shorthand texting.
Common Abbreviations
The popularity of texting has lead to the creation of many commonly-uses shorthand abbreviations. Some of the most common - and popular - options are detailed here. LoveToKnow has also created a printable list of shorthand abbreviations that you can download for your own purposes. Just click the image above to access the PDF document. If you need help downloading the list, check out these helpful tips.
Salutations and Greetings
- BBL means "Be back later."
- BBS means "Be back soon."
- CTC means "Care to chat?"
- CTN means "Can't talk now."
- CYA means "See you later."
- GAS means "Got a second?"
- GB means "Goodbye."
- HB means "Hurry back."
- ILU means "I love you."
- KEYA means "I will key you later."
- PCM means "Please call me."
- TTYL means "Talk to you later."
- YT means "You there?"
- WYD means "What you doing?"
- XOXO means "Hugs and kisses."
- N2m means "Nothing too much."
Exclamations and Laughter
- 4COL means "For crying out loud!"
- CSL means "Can't stop laughing!"
- IDC means "I can't care!"
- LHM means "Lord, help me!"
- LMAO means "Laughing my a-- off."
- LOL means "Laughing out loud!"
- OMG means "Oh, my God!"
- RME means "Rolling my eyes!"
- ROFLOL means "Rolling on floor laughing out loud!"
- SMDM means "Shaking my damn head!"
- SMH means "Shaking my head!"
- SMDH means "Shaking my damn head."
- STFU means "Shut the f-- up!"
- W/E means "Whatever!"
- WTF means "What the f--?"
- XME means "Excuse me?"
- JK means "Just kidding!"
- XLNT means "Excellent!"
Conversation and Banter
- 2G2B4G means "Too good to be forgotten."
- 2G2Bt means "Too good to be true."
- AAR means "At any rate."
- BION means "Believe it or not."
- DKRT means "Do the right thing."
- DUR means "Do you remember/"
- FBOW means "For better or worse."
- FTW means "For the win."
- FTL means "For the loss."
- FWB means "Friends with benefits."
- FYI means "For your information."
- ICAM means "I couldn't agree more."
- IKR means "I know, right?"
- JIC means "Just in case."
- JW means "Just wondering."
- YNK means "You never know."
- KNIM means "Know what I mean?"
- L2G means "(Would) love to go."
- LNT means "Meaning lost in translation."
- MOO means "(In) my own opinion."
- NOYB means "None of your business."
- NVM means "Never mind."
- OTOH means "On the other hand."
- PXT means "Please explain that."
- RYS means "Are you single?"
- TFS means "Thanks for sharing."
- TY means "Thank you."
- TYS means "Told you so."
Business and Education
- COB means "Close of business."
- CR8 means "Create."
- CYE means "Check your e-mail."
- DBAU means "Doing business as usual."
- DXNRY means "Dictionary."
- EOL means "End of lecture."
- EOD means "End of day."
- DIY means "Do it yourself."
- ETA means "Estimated time of arrival."
- G4C means "Going for coffee."
- HW means "Homework."
- WRK means "Work."
- NFS means "Not for sale."
- QFE means "Question for everyone."
- QQ means "Quick question."
- SIMYC means "Sorry I missed your call."
- WYHAM means "When you have a minute."
- YTTL means "You take too long."
Miscellaneous
- RLY means "Really?"
- TGIF means "Thank God it's Friday!"
- TMI means "Too much information."
- DKDC means "I don't know and I don't care."
- ADDY means "Address."
- 2MOR means "Tomorrow."
- FB means "Facebook."
- LI means "LinkedIn."
- M$ means "Microsoft."
- FB means "Facebook."
- AFP means "Away from phone."
- IAC means "In any case."
To Use Shorthand or Not?
Only use shorthand texting when you're casually communicating with a friend or relative. Refrain from taking advantage of this shortcut if you're texting to a co-worker or supervisor, as such acronyms lack professionalism. Also, avoid overdoing it. Mix full words with acronyms so that your audience can accurately decipher your text. On the other hand, if you're dealing with someone barely ever texts, then your best bet may be to wait until you see him or her in person.
Stay The Course
Learning to text with shorthand acronyms may feel like learning a foreign language at first. Take your time, and don't be afraid to clarify to your friends what certain abbreviations mean. It certainly involves a somewhat time-consuming learning process, but it's worth the effort, as you'll be able to save time and potentially even money by sending the shorthand versions of words and phrases.
