informal language
Relaxed verbal register
Informal language is speech or writing that relaxes the conventions of formal communication—contractions, slang, sentence fragments, and casual tone.
It's the register of everyday conversation, text messages, and emails to friends, as opposed to academic papers or business correspondence: The essay was rejected for being too informal.
Most people shift fluidly between formal and informal registers depending on context.
- ASAPUrgently, in shorthand
- BRBTexted temporary departure
- BTWTexted "incidentally"
- catch you laterCasual parting phrase
- reckonBelieve or estimate
FYI · vernacular · kick the bucket · slang · lit · off the hook · LOL · what's up · no worries · my bad · for real · ain't · colloquialism · neologism · y'all · you guys · fam · spill the beans
- vocabularyword, words, new words, term, terms
- language varietiesdialect, idiolect, sociolect, vernacular, accent
- Ways of Speakingaccent, slang, vernacular, dialect, twang
- languagesEnglish, Arabic, Chinese, German, French
- slangslang, jargon, lingo, argot, cant
- dialectregionalisms, vernacular, localisms, rural dialect, patois
informal languageformal language
Elevated, rule-governed expression
elevated language · formal speech · formal writing · diplomatic language
informal languagestandard language
Codified, official linguistic form
scholarly writing · proper English · King's English · Queen's English
informal languageofficial language
State-sanctioned communication method
legal language · professional language · technical language · diplomatic language · business English