Common Internet, SMS Text, and iMessage slang

TiPb brings you a glossary of common Internet and SMS Text and iMessage slang terms, from the hipster to the 1337, and more

Just getting online or into SMS or iMessage and trying to figure out what all the abbreviations, acronyms, and random-seeming jumbles of letters and numbers actually mean? Internet slag is changing and evolving faster than any known language so far. From gaming chats to blog comments to sexting (sex texting) to who knows what's next, there are more and more terms cropping up everyday and it's getting harder and harder to keep up with them.

To help you get started we've compiled a list of common, basic internet and SMS Text and iMessage slang... after the break!

For iOS and Apple-related terms see our complete iPhone and iPad glossary, for Twitter and Facebook terms, see our Social Network glossary. And as always, if we're missing anything, add additions and corrections in the comments below!

<3: Heart
9: Parents around
AFAIK: As far as I know
AFK: Away from keyboard
ASAP: As soon as possible
ASL: Age, sex, location (the second is a gender, not yes/no question!)
B: Be
BBL: Be back later
BBS: Be back soon
BF: Boy friend
BFF: Best friends forever
BRB: Be right back
BRT: Be right there
BTW: By the way
C: See
CCL: Couldn't care less
CSWS: Can't stop won't stop
FML: [F-word] my life
GF: Girl friend
GN: Get naked
GTG: Got to go
IDC: I don't care
IDK: I don't know
IK: I know
IKR: I know, right?
IMHO: in my humble/honest opinion
IMO: In my opinion
IWSN: I want sex now
J: Joke/joking
JK: Just kidding
K: Okay
KK: Okay
L8R: Later
LMAO: Laughing my ass off
LOL: Laughing out Loud
LULZ: Derivation of "LOL", often mischievous
N00B: Derivation of noobie, a.k.a a new user
NSFW: Not safe for work (because of nudity, language, etc.)
NVM: Never mind
O: Oh
OIC: Oh, I see
OMFG: Oh my [f-word] god
OMG: Oh my god
ORLY: Oh, really?
POS: Piece of [s-word]
PP: Post pictures (request/challenge)
PR0N: Derivation of "porn"
PWN: Derivation of "own", to beat or dominate something
R: Are
ROFL: Rolling on the floor
SFW: Safe for work
SMH: Shaking my head
STFU: Shut the [f-word] up
TDTM: Talk dirty to me
TTYL: Talk to you later
TTYL: Talk to you later
TWSS: That's what she said
U: You
UR: You are
WTF: What the [f-word]?
WTH: What the hell?
Y: Y
YW: You're welcome
ZOMG: Derivation of "OMG"

What common terms do you use a lot that are not yet part of this glossary? Let me know in the comments below and we will add them!

Senior Editor at iMore and a practicing therapist specializing in stress and anxiety. She speaks everywhere from conferences to corporations, co-host of Vector and Isometric podcasts, follow her on Twitter @Georgia_Dow and check out her series at anxiety-videos.com.

76 Comments

Rofl does NOT mean rolling on the follow?
It's rolling on the floor laughing. Shows how much you know.
LMAO
Agree..."ROFL" is "rolling on (the) floor laughing"
And jk is just kidding..
I always though imho = in my HONEST opinion. What do i know tho??
From what I've seen, it can be either or.
No, it's definitely more commonly used as "in my humble opinion". It's a way of expressing an opinion where you don't come so strong.
I agree. In my humble opinion.
IMHO = humble.
Less often, people will say "IMO" (without the humble) or "IMNSHO" (In My Not So Humble Opinion).
Neither would make much sense if the H was for honest.
IMHO, of course.
wow! no PMSL?! P*** myself laughing
also no LMFAO! no need to explain the F there lol
I never figured out why people type "kk" instead of just "k"?
me too, i always put k then get moaned at for one letter texts! also PPL - people and CUL8R - see you later is missing from list too, sure loads more could be added, make the Tipb urban slang dictionary lol
Smh= shaking my head
I know. I'm doing the same thing just looking at this post. It's a sad day when TiPB calls this "content".
FTW= [f-word] the world
FTW is more commonly for the win
FTW: "for the win"
Yeah, "FTW" is definitely "for the win".
I see KWIM a lot. Know What I Mean?
FYI - For Your Information, is also a good one
ggcb. Good grief Charlie Brown. dwrmc or dwrwc. Danger Will Roberson Mom's coming, or danger Will Roberson Wife coming. w.........d. WilllllllllllllllDogies. SZ. Shazam. Ok I will stop, tell em Gomer says hey.
AFAIK is "as far as I know". What does "and" do there? As if it's an important part of the expression?
@deuts. I agree with you.
AYKM? - Are you kidding me?
And it's friend AYFKM?
I thought AFAIK was "as far as i know"
Here area few more:
IIRC: "if i recall correctly"
FML: "f-ck my life"
TYVM: "thank you very much"
TTFN: "ta-ta for now"
Llf - laugh like fcuk
All these abbreviations are asinine anyway and it's also a poor excuse not to spell things correctly. Illiterate degenerates!
TTYL-talk to you later
ROFLOLMAO- rolling over floor laughing out loud my a** out.
Though I never know what's 1337 means.. -.-"
1337 is "leet," as in eliete. Only 13 year olds talk like that anymore
OMW = on my way
OFWKGTA
FAIL
OFWGKTA.......your letters were mixed up
ODD FUTURE WOLF GANG KILL THEM ALL 4 LIFEEEEEE
Yeah hence the FAIL
LDO = Like, duh, obviously
what about ty= thank you or np= no problem
Yeah, totally. I was thinking simple is often best.
WUA = where you at?
WUC = Call me when you can
I like PITA = Pain In The Ass. someone who really bothers you!
Also don't forget the best one ever:
ROTFLSHMSFOAIDMT -Rolling On The Floor Laughing So Hard My Sombrero Fell Off And I Droped My Taco
That's gay.
I've got to be the only person I know that don't do all this facebook/SMS slang don't see the point of it as I'm not on Facebook it brings too much crap to your door ie (people telling tails on each over)
And Don't need some one telling me what they are having for dinner you all know what I mean
the purpose to the slang is to shorten the words, almost like a abberviation, basically when SMS holds you to 160 characters and twitter to 140, sometimes shortening stuff can save costs
I've got free text and I use pushme.to app for the iPhone so I can use more then 160 at a time
Why would I need to tell someone to Laughing out Loud if it was funny I think I would know to laugh anyway
Wyc=when you can
YW: *You're welcome
What about: ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ -- Oh yeah, the alphabet. I went there. I really don't do these abbreviations. I have the iPhone and don't mind using full words. SRY.
Hahaha... "I don't use abbreviations" and the. Writes "SRY" :/
all of the ones people have said so far are great! others I can think of:
ILU = i love you
AAMOF = as a matter of fact
sry = sorry
abt = about
FUBAR = fcked up beyond all repair
AISI = as i see it
KISS = keep it simple, stupid
ATM = at the moment
bc or b/c = because
BAMF = bad a* mother fcker
STFU = shut the fck up
FFS = for fck's sake
OIC = oh, i see!
TL;DR = too long, didn't read
GG = good game
POV = point of view
NM = not much or nevermind (nevermind is more commonly NVM, but can be both)
noob or n00b or newb = newbie
HB = hurry back
PDQ = pretty darn quick
BS = bullsht
dubs = W (can replace W in previous acronyms, like BTdubs)
Hi5 = high five
TMI = too much information
SOL = sh*t out (of) luck
TC = take care
that's all I can think of off the top of my head... and yes, i use these A LOT.
Wow, that got effed up. Ignore this one and read below!
Or, FUBAR = f'd up beyond all RECOGNITION.
all of the ones people have said so far are great! others I can think of:
ILU = i love you
AAMOF = as a matter of fact
sry = sorry
abt = about
FUBAR = fcked up beyond all repair
AISI = as i see it
KISS = keep it simple, stupid
ATM = at the moment
bc or b/c = because
BAMF = bad azz mother fcker
STFU = shut the fck up
FFS = for fck's sake
OIC = oh, i see!
TL;DR = too long, didn't read
GG = good game
POV = point of view
NM = not much or nevermind (nevermind is more commonly NVM, but can be both)
noob or n00b or newb = newbie
HB = hurry back
PDQ = pretty darn quick
BS = bullsht
dubs = W (can replace W in previous acronyms, like BTdubs)
Hi5 = high five
TMI = too much information
SOL = sht out (of) luck
TC = take care
that's all I can think of off the top of my head... and yes, i use these A LOT.
All these responses, and not one single person noted the misuse of the word "your" in YW? YW is short for "you are welcome" aka "you're welcome" not "your welcome" as in "the welcome you own". :D
Honestly though, I think anyone reading this blog already knew these.
You forgot g2g = got 2 go.
Wow, I guess with no iphone 5 rumors to report this is what we have to put up with.
You put TTYL twice and YW should be YOU'RE welcome, not your welcome. Grammar FTW! ;)
CCL...GTFO!
You forgot
A2A - *** to ***
... what
DW=duh! Winning!
BW
not "between," but "Bi-Winning!"
LSHIDMSAIFIMT - laughing so hard I dropped my sombrero and it fell in my taco
Our Services include iphone programming,android application development with the help of our world's best iphone programmers.
TWSS
I came up with WUD= what are you doing or what you doing.
ily = i love you
ty = thank u
thnx = thanks
yw = you're welcome
ur = your/you're
otw/omw = on the way/on my way
bts = be there soon
(any form of LOL [rofl/lmao/etc])-WTIME = with tears in my eyes
ID 10 T error = "idiot"
WWBWD? ~ What Would Bruce Willis Do?
TY all for the great additions.
GTFO-get the fcuk out/off/on
stfu - shut the f*** up
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fyyff
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