VOCABULARY - How to Learn Text Abbreviations

VOCABULARY - How to Learn Text Abbreviations:

It all started with text messaging. Now, even with e-mail, chats and forums, text abbreviations are widely used.

Text abbreviations are shortcuts of words or phrases to make communications faster. There are those that are popularly known by everyone. Since text messaging and Internet are used regularly today for work, school and for fun, the users created new text abbreviations. If you’re not familiar with these abbreviations, it may be difficult for you to understand the people using them. Like learning any language, the best way to learn these abbreviations is through practice. If there’s something you don’t understand, you can always ask the person you’re talking to what it means. Everyone started from the beginning. They too didn’t know about the meanings of these abbreviations before.

If you’re too shy to ask and you don’t want to sound like a newbie, there are so many sites online where you can find a list of these abbreviations. It will be easy for you to learn these because they are listed in alphabetical order. If there’s something you don’t understand, you can just look it up under the column where it belongs. Also, these abbreviations are not all letters and numbers. Different characters are also used which correspond to different meanings. Some of the most common abbreviations used in text messaging, chats, e-mail and forums are LOL or laugh out loud, L8r or later, GR8 or great, IMY or I miss you, IDK or I don’t know, OIC or Oh I see, SRY or sorry, X kiss and WTG or way to go. Some of the abbreviations that use characters are these:

:-x small kiss

:-X big kiss / not saying a word

;-) wink

:-( sad

♥ love or heart

There are more text abbreviations that you may find on sites online. Familiarize yourself with few of these per day and you’ll be a pro in no time.

CHAT - Abbreviations

Abbreviations are short forms of words or phrases. Abbreviations are often used in chat rooms because they are easy to type and they save time. Here are some common abbreviations. They are shown here in capitals (for example: AFK), but they can also be in small letters (for example: afk).

121 One-to-one
AFK Away from keyboard
AKA Also known as
ASAP As soon as possible
A/S/L Age/sex/location
B4 Before
BBL Be back later
BRB Be right back
BTW By the way
CUZ Because
FAQ Frequently asked questions
FYI For your information
IDK I don't know
J/K Just kidding
K OK
L8R Later
LOL Laugh out loud
M/F Male or female
MSG Message
OIC Oh, I see
P2P Person-to-person
PLZ Please
PM Private message
ROFL Rolling on the floor laughing
SYL See you later
TGIF Thank goodness it's Friday
THX Thanks
TTYL Talk to you later