ABREVIAÇÕES COMUNS ONLINE E DE MENSAGENS DE TEXTO EM INGLÊS!

Abbreviations are used in text messages, in social media comments sections, in emails, in chat rooms, on online message boards, and most other places that people communicate online. They are an efficient way to communicate ideas in virtual spaces, and they are understood by the communities which use them. Below, you will find a list of 50 common abbreviations that are used in the contexts mentioned. Keep in mind that abbreviations are meant to be used in casual written situations and should be avoided in professional and official communications. While the abbreviations below are all in capital letters, when you see them “in the wild”, you will find that all of the abbreviations are commonly used in lowercase letters as well.

 

AFAIK – as far as I know

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	She said he works in the registration office, but AFAIK, that’s not the case.

 

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AFK – away from keyboard

CONTEXTS	online messaging
EXAMPLES	AFK. I’ll be back in 10 minutes.

 

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AMA – ask me anything

CONTEXTS	message boards (typically Reddit)
EXAMPLES	Taylor Swift is doing an AMA on Reddit next Friday.

 

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ATM – at the moment

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	What are you doing atm?

 

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AWOL – absent without official leave

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	Terrence hasn’t been to work in three days, and no one has been able to get in touch with him. He’s been completely AWOL.

 

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B4 – before

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	I’ll call you b4 7.

 

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BF – boyfriend

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	Is that her bf?

 

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BFF – best friend forever (meaning: best friend)

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	Marsha and Zakia are BFFs.

 

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BRB – be right back

CONTEXTS	not common in emails or on message boards
EXAMPLES	Brb. Someone’s at the door.

 

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CYA – see you

CONTEXTS	not common on message boards
USAGE	“CYA” = “see ya”, is a very short and informal way of saying “I will see you later”.
EXAMPLES	Nice chatting with ya. Cya.

 

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DL – down low

CONTEXTS	all
USAGE	“Keep it on the dl” means “Keep it private/secret”.
EXAMPLES	Keep this information on the dl.

 

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FTFY – fixed that for you

CONTEXTS	all
USAGE	Usually used by itself after you quote a person’s message and change something in it, usually to make a joke.
EXAMPLES	Ftfy.

 

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FTW – for the win

CONTEXTS	all
USAGE	If you type “ftw” after something, it means that something is good and desirable. If you send a picture to a friend and you like the way you look because you used a specific filter, you can be funny and say “I look good here. Photo filters ftw.”
EXAMPLES	Long weekends ftw!

 

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FWIW – for what it’s worth

CONTEXTS	all
USAGE	Use this when you want to share information or advice that might not be very relevant or helpful, but that offers some form of consolation for the receiver.
EXAMPLES	FWIW, I always thought your idea was better.

 

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GF – girlfriend

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	Have you seen his new gf?

 

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GG – good game

CONTEXTS	all
USAGE	You can say this about a sporting event, or after you have played an enjoyable, competitive online game against someone.
EXAMPLES	Gg. Both teams played well.

 

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GTG – got to go

CONTEXTS	text messaging and online messaging
USAGE	Use this to tell someone that you have to stop communicating with them because you have to go do something else in your life.
EXAMPLES	Sorry, gtg. I start work in 10 mins.

 

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IDK – I don’t know

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	I think that’s right, but idk.

 

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IIRC – if I recall correctly

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	Iirc, Tanya got her university degree last year.

 

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IMHO – in my humble opinion

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	IMHO, it sounds like you’re not working hard enough.

 

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IMO – in my opinion

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	IMO, we should contact different suppliers and compare prices.

 

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IRL – in real life

CONTEXTS	all
USAGE	Usually relates to video games, and/or the difference between the real world and the digital world.
EXAMPLES	I hope you don’t think this sounds weird, but would you like to meet irl?

 

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ITT – in this thread

CONTEXTS	message boards
USAGE	A thread is a string of communication about a single topic. Use this to specify that you are referring to the current thread.
EXAMPLES	I can’t believe how many people ITT believe that the earth is flat!

 

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JK (also: j/k) – just kidding

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	I’m at work… jk, I’m at home in bed!

 

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LMAO – laughing my ass off

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	Have you seen the video that Veronica sent to everybody? LMAO!

 

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LOL – laugh out loud

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	LOL. Check out this picture.

 

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MYOB – mind your own business

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	Derek needs to learn the definition of MYOB. He’s always gossiping.

 

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NGL – not gonna lie

CONTEXTS	all
USAGE	More details: https://www.englishalex.com/post/what-does-ngl-mean-internet-slang
EXAMPLES	Sorry that I missed yesterday’s meeting. Ngl, I just totally forgot about it.

 

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OIC – Oh, I see

CONTEXTS	all (not common in emails)
USAGE	Usually used by itself after someone tells you something you didn’t know, or something that you might not like, but which is still factual. For example, if you message someone that you have romantic interest in and they tell you that they already have a boyfriend or girlfriend, you might respond with “Oic. Sorry, I didn’t know.”
EXAMPLES	Oic. Sorry, I didn’t know.

 

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OMG (also: omigod) – oh my god

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	Omg are you serious?! I don’t believe it!

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OP – original post

CONTEXTS	message boards
USAGE	refers to the first post in a new string of communication
EXAMPLES	Make sure you read the OP. Most of your questions are already answered there.

 

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OT – off-topic

CONTEXTS	most common on message boards
EXAMPLES	I’m sorry for going OT, but how much did you pay for your shoes?

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P2P – peer-to-peer

CONTEXTS	all
USAGE	refers to connecting two computers together directly for things like file sharing
EXAMPLES	It’s a p2p site with access to a ton of music.

 

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PPL – people

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	The event was cancelled because not enough ppl bought tickets.

 

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ROFL – rolling on the floor laughing

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	ROFL! Oh my god, that’s so funny!

 

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SFW – safe for work

CONTEXTS	all but not common in emailing
USAGE	means you don’t have to worry about people seeing controversial or explicit content at work
EXAMPLES	Don’t worry. These images are all SFW.

 

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SMH – shake my head/shaking my head

CONTEXTS	most common in texts, online messages, and on message boards
USAGE	shows your disappointment or disapproval of something
EXAMPLES	Smh. I can’t believe he actually said that.

 

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SO – significant other

CONTEXTS	all
USAGE	typically refers to a person’s romantic partner
EXAMPLES	Did you know that her SO is a dentist?

 

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TBH – to be honest

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	Tbh, I didn’t expect the project to take this long.

 

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TFW – that feeling when

CONTEXTS	all, but most common in texts and memes
EXAMPLES	Tfw you started the drama, but you’re not part of the drama. (This might be a response to a funny image of a girl who is looking happily at the camera while two kids are fighting behind her.)

 

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TIL – today I learned

CONTEXTS	all, but not common in emails
EXAMPLES	TIL that Canada only has one officially bilingual province. @_@ (This can be a response to a picture someone posted that shows the official languages of the Canadian provinces, including “New Brunswick – French and English.”)

 

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TL;DR – too long; didn’t read

CONTEXTS	all, but most common on online message boards and comments sections
USAGE	Type this when you do not take the time to read a long text. You can also ask for someone to give you a “TLDR version” of a text; for example, “Can someone give me the TL;DR for this? I don’t have time to read 30 paragraphs right now.”
EXAMPLES	TL;DR. Can someone tell me the main point of the article above?

 

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TMI – too much information

CONTEXTS	all
USAGE	Use when someone gives details that you think are unnecessary or too private to share.
EXAMPLES	TMI! I don’t need to know about her personal hygiene habits!

 

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TOS – terms of service

CONTEXTS	all
EXAMPLES	Does anyone actually ever read the TOS when they start using an app?

 

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TTYL – talk to you later

CONTEXTS	most common in texting and online messaging
EXAMPLES	I have to go. Ttyl.