If you have a cell phone (and who doesn’t these days?) chances are that you text.  Texting (also called “text messaging”) refers to the exchange of short written messages between two cellular phones.  Texting is not the same as calling, because texting uses the written word, while calling or talking over the phone uses the spoken word.  The action of texting is referred to by different names around the world, some refer to texting as sending an SMS (SMS = Short Message Service) or TMS (TMS = Text Message Service). In the United States, we refer to the message that is sent via a cell phone as a “text” and the action is referred to as “texting” the verb is “to text” and is a regular verb.  No matter what you call this action though, people are doing it everywhere and doing it a lot. Texting is so prevalent that a new texting language has developed to convey written messages as quickly and with as few words as possible.  I am sure you all know most of this already, but what you may or may not know are some of the abbreviations or text language that Americans and English speakers use when texting.

Here is a table of some common text messaging abbreviations in English.  Please note that most of these abbreviations only have meaning and relevance within a text.  They do not mean the same thing or may be misinterpreted if you use them in another context.  Also, beware that text language is not considered appropriate in formal written work – it is a form of slang* after all.

As you can see most of this English text language is made up of acronyms** for common phrases (for example: LOL for “laughing out loud”), abbreviated*** words (for example: GF for “girlfriend” or PPL for “people”) and numbers, letters, and symbols for sounds (for example: CUL for “see you later” or B4 for “before”).

* slang = a type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal
** acronyms = a word formed from the initial letters of other words
*** abbreviated words = a shortened form of a word or phrase