Technology is a wonder, and with it has come SMS (Short Message Service), text slang, and text language. It enables people to send quicker and more concise messages, and it’s a type of abbreviated language.
If ‘LOL’ or ‘DED’ have you confused and you're forever thinking, what does…mean? Check out our text slang word list to help you decipher your messages!
Text slang hasn’t always been around; it's risen in popularity in the last two decades. Texting in its basic form involves sending an instant message from your phone to someone else, and now text language is also seen on social media and information boards.
Texting slang started because people wanted a straightforward way to message, as early versions of SMS only allowed users to send about 160 characters per message and phones had smaller and less efficient keyboards.
Though it’s a reasonably new phenomenon, similar elliptical languages date back almost 120 years, when telegraph operators used abbreviations to chat. You could even describe morse code as the first type of abbreviated communicative language, where symbols and letters are given meaning.
The history of texting slang is fascinating, and though it’s not officially an English language dialect, some argue it’s significantly changed how we use language in our everyday lexicon.
Texting slang is way more interesting than just abbreviations. In fact, before emojis, emoticons were the typical way people set the tone and emotion of their messages.
Emoticons are made up of mixed keyboard characters that become human faces when they're combined. Let's look at some typical example meanings.
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What Does <3 Mean?
You can send this emoticon to someone when you want to give them a hug or a little love. It could mean you care about them or wish them well.
What Does :') Mean?
This emoticon means happy crying. Mabye you think something is hilarious and it has you crying with happy tears.
What Does :P Mean?
This is a cheeky emoticon, and it means tongue out. Use it when you want to respond to something funny or silly.
Emojis are the evolution of emoticons, making it easier for users to set the mood for their messages. Nowadays, emojis are pre-set on your phone, but they've evolved from simply meaning happy or sad. Emojis have slang meanings that mean way more than you might think, and you can even construct complete sentences with them!
Before we get into the word list of text slang examples, let's look at some commonly used text slang you may have seen before.
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Text slang combines symbols and unique abbreviations with specific meanings. Here's a categorized list of text slang phrases and words.
Though we wouldn’t suggest sending your boss or teacher a message full of text slang, it’s worth knowing them, JIC! (Just in case)
Checkpoint ✔️
Drag the meaning to the corresponding text slang.
Working At Home
Yet Another Meeting
You Are Welcome
What About You?
WAH
YAM
URW
WBU
There are so many ways to express your feelings with texting slang. Here’s a few examples:
The more text slang evolves, the more it seeps into popular culture. Here are some examples you’ll find all over social media.
So, someone’s sent you a message, and you have no idea how to respond; see if any of these might fit.
Use these text slang examples if you’re after a short and sweet way to message someone!
What does 88 mean?
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What does 831 mean?
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Knowing how to read and write text slang can be super valuable across many platforms and for people of different ages. We’ve given you a basic understanding of text language; now go forth and DIY! (Do it yourself)