Text Slang Meanings: 47 Abbreviations Explained (OFC, TBH, HMU)

OFC means of course, TBH means to be honest, HMU means hit me up, WYA means where you at, TYSM means thank you so much, IYKYK means if you know, you know, AFK means away from keyboard and ATP means at this point. ASL has two meanings: the old chatroom question age, sex, location, and the newer as hell.

This guide covers 47 common text abbreviations, explained in plain English with an example message and a tip on tone, because the same letters can sound friendly, blunt or cold depending on who sends them. Use the search box to jump to any term.

Text slang cheat sheet: the 12 most searched abbreviations

The most searched text abbreviations explained

These are the abbreviations people look up most often, with the tone they carry and an easy reply.

Text slang glossary: 47 abbreviations from A to Z

Type in the box to filter the list. You can search by abbreviation, meaning or category. The table is grouped by what the abbreviation does: everyday replies, opinions and tone, plans and questions, status and time, and feelings and mood.

Tone traps: when text abbreviations read the wrong way

The words are short, but the feelings can be big. These are the abbreviations most likely to be misread:

• K versus KK. A single “k” often reads as annoyed or finished with the topic. “kk” is friendlier.
• TBH. “tbh I love it” is warm. “tbh it was not great” can sting. Add a kind line after it.
• NGL. Usually a softener before a candid remark, but it can also set up bad news.
• IG. “ig we can go” sounds unenthusiastic. If you are keen, say so.
• FR. “fr?” with a question mark means “really?”, while “fr fr” is strong agreement.
• ISTG. Shows frustration and some people dislike the religious reference, so skip it in mixed company.
• ASL. In older chat rooms, “a/s/l?” asked strangers for personal details. Never share these with someone you do not know.

Text emoticons and symbols (People Also Ask answers)

People often ask what text faces mean. These are widely used readings, and context can change them:

Initialism, acronym, textism: what is the difference?

• Initialism: you say each letter, as in “O-F-C” or “T-B-H”.
• Acronym: you say it as a word, as in “FOMO” or “YOLO”.
• Clipping: a word shortened, such as “ty” or “rn”.
• Textism: any text-message shortcut, including letter-number swaps such as “gr8”.
• Textese or text speak: the whole style of abbreviated writing.

When to use abbreviations and when to skip them

Are text abbreviations ruining language? What research says

Teachers and parents often worry that text speak damages spelling. The evidence is more reassuring. A British study of 88 children aged 10 to 12, published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology in 2009, found that children who used more text abbreviations scored higher on a reading test, even after age, working memory and phonological skill were taken into account. The study was correlational, so it cannot prove that texting improves reading, but it does suggest that playing with letters and sounds goes along with literacy rather than against it.

Abbreviations are also older than phones. The earliest known written use of OMG comes from a letter that Admiral Lord Fisher sent to Winston Churchill on 9 September 1917, found by Oxford English Dictionary researchers. Shortening phrases is a very old habit.

Related slang and meaning guides

• 6-7 meaning: another number-based phrase that spread among teenagers.
• 5201314 meaning: how numbers became a love message in Chinese internet slang.
• PogChamp emote meaning: how a Twitch emote turned into shared language.
• The moon is beautiful, isn’t it: a phrase where the real message hides under the words.

Text slang: frequently asked questions

Sources and further reading

• British Psychological Society Research Digest: txtng associated wiv superior reading skills
• Snopes: the 1917 Lord Fisher letter and the first use of OMG
• Guinness World Records: first instance of OMG in print