SMS Abbreviations: List of 100 Most Common Abbreviations in English

Understanding SMS Abbreviations

Origins of SMS Language

Back in the early days of mobile phones, text messaging, or SMS (Short Message Service), quickly became a popular method of communication. To make messages quicker and more efficient, people began using abbreviations and acronyms. This led to the creation of what we know today as SMS language. It’s important for us to understand SMS language because it has become a major part of how we communicate in the digital age.

Some of the first abbreviations to gain popularity were simple contractions of common words, such as “u” for “you” or “2” for “to.” As texting became even more widespread, new abbreviations were continuously added to the mix, many of which we still use today.

SMS Vocabulary

There is a vast array of SMS abbreviations that have been developed over the years. To help you navigate this ever-evolving vocabulary, we’ve listed some of the most common abbreviations below:

• ASAP: As Soon As Possible
• BRB: Be Right Back
• BTW: By The Way
• CU: See You
• FWIW: For What It’s Worth
• IDK: I Don’t Know
• IMHO: In My Humble Opinion
• LOL: Laughing Out Loud
• NP: No Problem
• OMG: Oh My God
• OT: Off Topic
• TTYL: Talk To You Later
• TY: Thank You
• WTF: What The F***?

While this list is by no means exhaustive, it should give you a good starting point in building your SMS language skills. We hope that as you familiarize yourself with these terms, you’ll find it easier to understand and engage in digital conversations with friends, family, and colleagues.

Most Common SMS Abbreviations

In the digital age, we often find ourselves sending texts to communicate with our friends, family, and colleagues. To make our messages more concise and easy to understand, we use a variety of SMS abbreviations. In this section, we’ll share some of the most common abbreviations you might come across while texting in English.

LOL – Laugh out loud. This is used to express amusement or that something is funny. For example: “I just saw a hilarious video, LOL!”

BRB – Be right back. When you need to step away for a moment, you can let the person know using this abbreviation. For example: “I need to get my charger, BRB.”

BTW – By the way. This is used to add extra information or change the topic of conversation. For example: “BTW, did you hear about the new movie release?”

IDK – I don’t know. When you’re unsure about something, you can use this abbreviation. For example: “IDK what time the event starts tonight.”

Here are more common SMS abbreviations you might find useful:

• TTYL – Talk to you later
• HMU – Hit me up
• FWIW – For what it’s worth
• IMO – In my opinion
• IMHO – In my humble opinion
• TBA – To be announced
• TGIF – Thank goodness it’s Friday
• TBH – To be honest
• TBF – To be frank
• RN – Right now
• QOTD – Quote of the day
• OOTD – Outfit of the day

These abbreviations are helpful in making our text conversations more efficient and enjoyable. As you continue to improve your English, incorporating these common SMS abbreviations into your texting vocabulary will help you communicate more effectively with native speakers. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to use these abbreviations in your daily text conversations!

More Complex SMS Abbreviations

In addition to the common and simple SMS abbreviations you’re likely familiar with, such as “LOL” (laugh out loud) and “BTW” (by the way), there are numerous more complex and less well-known abbreviations that can enhance your texting experience. In this section, we’ll dive into some of these unique abbreviations to help make your messages more efficient and engaging.

One such example is “ICYMI,” which stands for “In Case You Missed It.” This abbreviation is perfect for sharing important news or updates that someone might have overlooked. Another is “YSK,” which means “You Should Know,” often used when providing vital or helpful information to the recipient.

For situations where you need to express your emotions, you can use “NMU” (Not Much, You?) to convey a lack of strong feelings or “smh” (shaking my head) to show your disbelief or disappointment. In more urgent cases, “AA” (Action Alert) can be used to notify someone of an immediate action they should take.

When discussing plans or schedules, abbreviations like “TBD” (To Be Determined) and “EOM” (End of Message) can save time and make your message more concise. Likewise, “HTH” (Hope This Helps) is a great way to wrap up a message where you’ve provided assistance or advice.

Here are a few more complex SMS abbreviations to keep in mind:

• IRL: In Real Life
• AFAIK: As Far As I Know
• FOMO: Fear of Missing Out
• LMK: Let Me Know
• TL;DR: Too Long; Didn’t Read

When incorporating these abbreviations in your texts, remember that not everyone may be familiar with them, so be prepared to clarify their meanings if needed. By utilizing these more complex SMS abbreviations, you can streamline your messages, convey more information in less time, and make your conversations more engaging. Happy texting!

Special Characters in SMS Language

Use of Symbols

In SMS language, we often use special characters and symbols to convey meaning more quickly and efficiently. Some common symbols used in texting include:

• @: Used to mention someone in a message or social media post, e.g., “@John: Great job on the presentation.”
• #: Hashtags help categorize messages for easy searching and connection with others discussing the same topic, e.g., “#ThrowbackThursday.”
• &: A shorthand for ‘and’ in messages, e.g., “We went shopping & had lunch together.”
• %: Represents the word ‘percent’ to indicate a portion or rate, e.g., “There’s a 50% chance of rain today.”

Using these symbols can shorten messages and make it more comfortable for the recipient to understand the context quickly.

Emoticons and Emojis

Emoticons and emojis are another essential aspect of SMS language. They help express emotions, feelings, or reactions in digital conversations. It’s easy for us to include emotion in face-to-face interactions, but communicating those emotions through text can be tricky. That’s where emoticons and emojis come in!

• Emoticons are combinations of keyboard characters that resemble facial expressions, e.g., :-), ;-), :-(. They bring a touch of emotion to plain text messages, making communication more engaging.
• Emojis are small digital images or icons that express emotions, ideas, and various other sentiments. They have become increasingly popular with the widespread use of smartphones. Examples include:
  • 😂 (laughing with tears)
  • 😍 (heart eyes)
  • 💪 (strong/muscle arm)
  • 🚀 (rocket)

Using emoticons and emojis can enhance our messages and make them more relatable, helping convey our emotions and reactions effectively. So next time you’re crafting a text or message, don’t shy away from using special characters or emojis to add some life and emotion to your words!