chatspeak
Digital message abbreviations
Chatspeak is the abbreviated, informal writing style that emerged from early internet chat rooms and text messaging—where character limits and rapid typing spawned shortcuts like u for you, lol for laughing out loud, and brb for be right back.
The style emphasizes speed over polish: dropped vowels, phonetic spellings, and acronyms.
sry im l8, ttyl.
Though once associated with teenagers, chatspeak conventions have filtered into mainstream digital communication.
Internet amusement abbreviation
Digital cheerful expression
- emoticonDigital mood symbol
- emojiDigital pictograph for messaging
- kaomojiJapanese text-based faces
- colonLarge intestine section
parenthesis · wink · frown · XD · heart · kissy · crying · laughing
Sending typed mobile messages
- SMSMobile text protocol
- instant messagingLive online text communication
- DiscordGaming communication platform
- TwitchVideo game streaming site
Twitter · Reddit · TikTok · WhatsApp · Snapchat · forum · IRC · AOL
Uncapitalized letter form
- capsHeadwear or upper limits
- ALL CAPSFull uppercase text
- misspellingIncorrect written form
- abbreviationShortened word form
acronym · asterisk · ellipsis · exclamation · hashtag · ampersand · slash · underscore
LOL
Internet amusement abbreviation
IMO · ROFL · AFK · BTW · NVM · LMAO · SMH · IRL · FYI · ICYMI
stan
Obsessive celebrity follower
cap · flex · vibe · salty · lowkey · highkey · simp · cringe · based · ratio
smiley
Digital cheerful expression
colon · parenthesis · wink · frown · XD · heart · kissy · crying · laughing · shrug
texting
Sending typed mobile messages
- SMSMobile text protocol
- instant messagingLive online text communication
- DiscordGaming communication platform
Twitch · Twitter · Reddit · TikTok · WhatsApp · Snapchat · forum · IRC · AOL · MSN
lowercase
Uncapitalized letter form
- capsHeadwear or upper limits
- ALL CAPSFull uppercase text
- misspellingIncorrect written form
abbreviation · acronym · asterisk · ellipsis · exclamation · hashtag · ampersand · slash · underscore · tilde
chatspeakformal writing
Polished, structured text
academic writing · proper English · business English · professional writing · formal language
chat, speak, chats, chatted, chatting, chatty, speaks, spoke, spoken