Cracking the Code: A Guide to Chat Room Acronyms and Speak

I’m sure if your new to our chat room you are unfamiliar with some of the chat room lingo if you have been chatting online for a while. I have attempted to list the ones we use on World of Chat as there are many different ones, but lots that are not used. The acronyms are often used in a text message online as slang, or a quick way to sign off a message, or just popular abbreviations that people use at the same time. They have developed into their own internet abbreviation language or jargon, which has slowly turned into text abbreviations people use on text messages. I would imagine most parents do not know.

Just so you know, each letter means a word. If you are someone whose first language isn’t English, then this may seem confusing at first.

More about moderation a chat room here, and what exactly is internet relay chat?

What are the origins of these online chat abbreviations?

The origins of acronyms can be traced back to the early 20th century. Acronyms are words formed from the initial letters of other words, usually to create a shorter and more memorable version of a phrase or name. The first known acronym was created in 1943, when the United States Army Signal Corps coined the term “RADAR” (Radio Detection And Ranging), but has moved online into chat sites and chat apps.

How do chat room acronyms help communication?

Chat talk can help communication by allowing users to quickly and easily convey their thoughts and feelings in a concise manner. By using acronyms, users are able to communicate more quickly and efficiently, as they don’t have to type out entire words or phrases. This can be especially helpful in chat rooms where there are multiple people chatting at once, as it allows for a more efficient conversation. Chat room acronyms also help to reduce misunderstandings.

Here is a list of chatrooms abbreviations and word chat acronyms and examples.

asl – Age, sex, and location:
A: Hello, what’s your asl?
B: 24, male, UK. What about you?

Woc – World of chat:
A: Are you going into Woc tonight?
B: Yes, I’ll be in Woc later.

lol – Laugh out loud:
A: That joke you told me was hilarious!
B: lol, yes, it was very funny.

lmao – Laughing my ass off:
A: I accidentally poured orange juice into my cereal this morning.
B: lmao, that’s one way to start the day!

lmfao – Laugh my feckin’ ass off:
A: Remember when you tried to dance at the party?
B: lmfao, I must’ve looked ridiculous!

rofl – Rolling on the floor laughing:
A: Did you see that comedian last night?
B: Yes, I was rofl the entire time!

roflmao – Rolling on the floor laughing my ass off:
A: Just watched the video you sent.
B: roflmao, right? It’s too good!

lolz – Laugh out loud with a cherry on top:
A: We should watch that comedy special again.
B: Definitely, it was full of lolz.

Omg – Oh My God:
A: Guess who just got engaged?
B: Omg, really? That’s amazing!

brb – Be right back:
A: I need to check on something in the kitchen.
B: Okay, brb.

hb – Hurry back:
A: I’ll be back in a sec.
B: Alright, hb!

ttfn – Ta Ta for now:
A: I’m off to bed, it’s late here.
B: Okay, ttfn!

tc – Take care:
A: It was great catching up with you.
B: Same here, tc!

wtf – What the feck:
A: They canceled the show at the last minute.
B: wtf, are you serious?

Omfg – Oh my feckin’ god:
A: They’re giving free concert tickets outside!
B: Omfg, let’s go!

M8 – Mate:
A: You up for football this weekend?
B: Sure, m8!

Cu l8er – See you later:
A: I’ve got to run, got a meeting.
B: No worries, cu l8er.

Plz – Please:
A: Can you send me the report?
B: Sure, plz give me a moment.

gr8 – Great:
A: How was the party last night?
B: It was gr8, you should’ve come!

Ic – I see:
A: I’ll be late because of traffic.
B: Ic, drive safe.

Every1 – Everyone:
A: Who’s invited to the event?
B: Every1’s welcome!

bbl – Be back later:
A: Gotta go for now.
B: Alright, bbl.

diy – Do it yourself:
A: I’m thinking of painting the room myself.
B: That’s a great diy project!

afk – Away from keyboard:
A: You’re not responding, are you there?
B: Sorry, was afk for a bit.

ty – Thank you:
A: I appreciate your help today.
B: ty, glad to assist!

thx – Thanks:
A: Loved the birthday present!
B: thx, happy you liked it!

np – No problem:
A: Thanks for waiting for me.
B: np, it was no trouble at all.

nvm – Nevermind:
A: Did you see my glasses?
B: nvm, found them!

imho – In my humble opinion:
A: What do you think of the new policy?
B: imho, it could be improved.

yw – You’re welcome:
A: Thanks for covering for me today.
B: yw, anytime!

gl – Good luck:
A: I’m nervous about this interview.
B: You’ll do great, gl!

hf – High five:
A: Just finished my final exam!
B: hf, congrats!

gm – Good morning:
A: gm, ready for the trip?
B: Yes, packed and set!

Imo – In my opinion:
A: Cats or dogs?
B: Imo, cats are better.

fyi – For your information:
A: When’s the meeting?
B: fyi, it’s been moved to 3 pm.

idk – I don’t know:
A: Where should we eat?
B: idk, you choose.

jk – Just kidding:
A: I heard you won the lottery!
B: jk, I wish!

k – Okay:
A: Meet me at the usual spot?
B: k

fwiw – For what it’s worth:
A: What do you think about this situation?
B: fwiw, I think you should get a second opinion.

ttyl – Talk to you later:
A: I need to log off now.
B: Okay, ttyl!

ILY – I love you:
A: You mean so much to me.
B: ILY too!

Afaik – As far as I know:
A: Are there any tickets left for the concert?
B: Afaik, it’s sold out.

irl – In real life:
A: We’ve been talking for months online.
B: Yeah, can’t wait to meet irl.

diy – Do it yourself:
A: I want to build a coffee table.
B: Check out this diy tutorial!

faq – Frequently asked questions:
A: Where can I find more info about their services?
B: Their website has a faq section.

gtg – Got to go:
A: The movie is starting soon.
B: Okay, gtg!

bff – Best friends forever:
A: Who’s been with you through thick and thin?
B: My bff, always.

dm – Doesn’t matter:
A: Do you prefer Italian or Chinese food?
B: dm, I like both.

idc – I don’t care:
A: What movie should we watch?
B: idc, you choose.

nsfw – Not safe for work:
A: Check out this funny article.
B: nsfw, I’ll read it at home.

ppl – People:
A: Why do phones die so fast?
B: Because ppl forget to unplug them.

bbs – Be back soon:
A: I’m going to the store.
B: Okay, bbs.

tmi – Too much information:
A: Then I had the worst stomach ache…
B: tmi, please!

smh – Shaking my head:
A: He actually wore that to the interview.
B: smh, what was he thinking?

bwl – Burst with laughter:
A: Remember her reaction to the prank?
B: Yes, I bwl!

asap – As soon as possible:
A: When do you need this done?
B: asap, if you can.

l8r – Later:
A: Catch you at the party?
B: Yeah, l8r!

myob – Mind your own business:
A: Why did they split up?
B: myob, not our place to ask.

ne1 – Anyone:
A: ne1 up for a game tonight?
B: Count me in!

noyb – None of your business:
A: How much did you spend on that?
B: noyb, honestly.

oic – Oh I see:
A: I’m moving to the night shift.
B: oic, that’s a big change.

stfu – Shut the f* up:**
A: This noise is driving me crazy!
B: Maybe stfu would help?

kk – Okay:
A: I’ll meet you at 5.
B: kk, see you then.

btw – By the way:
A: I’m bringing snacks to the party.
B: btw, I love your cookies.

OMW – On my way:
A: Are you close?
B: OMW, be there at 5.

noob – Newbie:
A: I’m new to this game.
B: Don’t worry, every pro was a noob once.

Hax – Cheating:
A: How did he win so easily?
B: Must be hax.

Leet – Elite:
A: She’s one of the best players.
B: Yeah, totally leet.

Hugs – Sending hugs your way:
A: I had a rough day.
B: Hugs, hope it gets better.

Aka – Also known as:
A: Do you know Clark Kent?
B: You mean Superman, aka the Man of Steel?

Cob – Close of business:
A: When do you need this report?
B: By cob today.

Nbd – No big deal:
A: Sorry I’m late.
B: nbd, I just got here myself.

Cmb – Call me back:
A: Missed your call, what’s up?
B: Nothing urgent, cmb when free.

Aamof – As a matter of fact:
A: Do you like hiking?
B: aamof, I’m going this weekend.

Csl – Can’t stop laughing:
A: His impression was spot on.
B: csl, it was very good!

YMMV – Your mileage may vary:
A: I love this app, it’s so helpful.
B: True, but ymmv depending on how you use it.

Kiss – Sending you kisses:
A: Wish I could be there for your birthday.
B: Kiss, thanks for thinking of me.

bf – Boyfriend:
A: Who’s that guy you were with?
B: Oh, that’s my bf.

f2f – Female to female:
A: Is this a mixed-gender chat group?
B: No, it’s f2f only.

morf – Male or female:
A: Who’s coming to the party?
B: morf, everyone’s invited.

CTA – Call to action:
A: We need to motivate our team.
B: Let’s create a strong CTA.

SMS – Short message service:
A: How do you prefer to communicate?
B: SMS is best for me.

Cos – Because:
A: Why did you skip the meeting?
B: cos I was sick.

Dl – Down low:
A: Keep this news on the dl for now.
B: Understood, won’t tell a soul.

HBD – Happy birthday:
A: It’s my sister’s birthday today.
B: HBD to her!

GG – Good game:
A: We lost, but you played well.
B: Thanks, gg!

TBH – To be honest:
A: How do you feel about the new policy?
B: tbh, it could be better.

WTH – What the heck:
A: They canceled the event last minute.
B: wth, that’s so frustrating.

YOLO – You only live once:
A: Should I book the trip?
B: Yes, yolo!

FOMO – Fear of missing out:
A: Are you coming to the festival this weekend?
B: I wasn’t planning on it, but I’ve got serious FOMO! 

How have these online abbreviations evolved over time?

The evolution of acronyms over time has been quite remarkable. Acronyms are abbreviations formed from the initial letters of other words and are used to make communication easier and more efficient. They have been around since ancient times and have been used in various forms throughout history. In the early days, acronyms were used mainly in the military and government sectors. They were used to refer to specific units, operations, and other military terms.

I remember using them back in the day on MSN chat and MSN messenger, which also had icons for each acronym, meaning, those chats back in the day still make me laugh today, but chat speak has merged into social media and daily life now.

If you want to join our chat rooms, you can do so. We have many different rooms. For example, our Asian and Pakistani chat room