Short form words, often called initialisms or abbreviations, are very common in everyday communication, especially online. They allow us to convey meaning quickly in texts, emails, social media, and other digital contexts. But what exactly are some of the most popular short form words and abbreviations, and how did they originate?
What are some common short form words and abbreviations?
Here are some of the most ubiquitous short form words and abbreviations used today:
- LOL – Laughing out loud
- BRB – Be right back
- BTW – By the way
- FYI – For your information
- TBH – To be honest
- IMO/IMHO – In my opinion/In my humble opinion
- TMI – Too much information
- ICYMI – In case you missed it
- IDK – I don’t know
- TL;DR – Too long; didn’t read
- DM – Direct message
- G2G – Got to go
There are also many widely used short forms related to time and scheduling:
- ASAP – As soon as possible
- ETA – Estimated time of arrival
- TBD – To be determined
- TBA – To be announced
In digital communication, short forms for technology terms are ubiquitous:
- app – application
- GIF – Graphic interchange format images
- DNS – Domain name system
- SEO – Search engine optimization
- HTML – Hypertext markup language
- URL – Uniform resource locator (web address)
- WiFi – Wireless fidelity (wireless internet)
Social media and texting have also popularized many acronyms and abbreviations, such as:
- SMH – Shaking my head
- IRL – In real life
- FTW – For the win
- AFAIK – As far as I know
- IANAL – I am not a lawyer
- CTA – Call to action
- TBH – To be honest
- YOLO – You only live once
Where did these short forms originate?
Many popular short forms can be traced back decades or even centuries:
- OK – One of the most ubiquitous short forms, OK dates back to the 1800s and may derive from “Old Kinderhook,” a nickname for former U.S. President Martin Van Buren. It came to mean “all correct.”
- ASAP – Originated in the military in the mid-20th century and stands for “As soon as possible.”
- RADAR – Coined in the 1940s as an acronym for “radio detection and ranging.”
- SCUBA – Stands for “self-contained underwater breathing apparatus” and was first used in the 1950s.
- laser – An acronym for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation,” first used in the 1960s.
- GIF – Stands for “graphic interchange format,” named in 1987.
However, many other popular short forms originated more recently with the growth of digital communication:
- LOL – First used in the 1980s and stands for “laughing out loud.”
- BRB – Emerged in the early 1990s on early Internet chat platforms and stands for “be right back.”
- IDK – Meaning “I don’t know,” it became popular in the 1990s with the rise of texting and instant messaging.
- BTW – “By the way” first emerged in email communication in the early 1990s.
- FYI – “For your information” also originated with email in the ’90s.
- Selfie – A more recent short form, this one for “self portrait” originated around 2010 driven by smartphone photography.
Why do we use short forms?
Short forms serve several valuable purposes in digital communication:
- Brevity – They allow us to convey meaning quickly with fewer characters.
- Informality – They bring an informal, conversational tone to digital messages.
- Humor and Expression – Acronyms like LOL and OMG allow us to express humor, emotion, and personality.
- Clarity – Short forms like IDK clearly and unambiguously convey meaning.
- Efficiency – They save time and effort compared to typing full text.
Some linguists argue short forms demonstrate linguistic economy and creativity in adapting language to new digital contexts.
However, it’s worth noting some dislike the prevalence of short forms and consider them to degrade proper language use. Overall though, short forms seem likely to remain ubiquitous features of digital communication.
Examples of short form words in sentences
Here are some examples of how these short forms words and acronyms function in sentences today:
- I have to head out soon, TTYL!
- TBH I didn’t really enjoy that movie. It was kind of boring.
- I posted a new IG story, FYI.
- Sorry for the late reply! I was AFK all day.
- I literally LOL’ed when she said that – it was hilarious!
A few more examples:
- Here’s the info you requested about our company’s KPIs.
- Ugh, that’s too long – can I get a TL;DR version?
- I need to take a break from work ASAP.
- I’ll send you the website URL in a minute.
- Are you busy RN or can you chat for a few minutes?
Popular short forms in different languages
While short forms are ubiquitous in English digital communication, they are also popular in other languages. Here are some common short forms used in other languages:
Spanish
- BQN – Bueno (good)
- XFA – Por favor (please)
- XQ – Porque (because)
- XD – Carcajada (laugh)
French
- MDR – Mort de rire (died of laughter)
- CMPT – Compte (account)
- BJR – Bonjour (hello)
- PV – Pour voir (to see)
German
- HB – Hab dich lieb (love you)
- LG – Liebe Grüße (best regards)
- VLG – Vielen lieben Dank (many thanks)
- WB – Welcome back
Italian
- NN – Non ne posso più (can’t take it anymore)
- TVB – Ti voglio bene (love you)
- Xdono – Perdono (sorry)
- 6 – Sei (you are/six)
So in many languages short forms serve the same purposes of expressing ideas quickly and informally during digital communication.
Creating new short forms
One of the interesting aspects of short forms is new ones are constantly being created. Any word or phrase can theoretically be shortened into a new short form or acronym. Here are some tips for creating effective and catchy new short forms:
- Identify lengthy or commonly used terms in your industry or niche.
- Try forming an acronym using the first letter from each word.
- Make sure the short form is pronounceable and easy to remember.
- Check if your acronym is already in widespread use – try to be original.
- Introduce your short form in communication and explain the full meaning.
- Use it consistently so it spreads organically to others.
If widely adopted, your new short form may enter the lexicon of your field. However, the vast majority of proposed new acronyms fail to gain traction.
Tables of short forms by category
Here are some tables categorizing some popular short forms and acronyms in English:
Technology
| Short Form | Meaning |
| HTTP | Hypertext transfer protocol |
| DNS | Domain name system |
| SEO | Search engine optimization |
| SaaS | Software as a service |
| SQL | Structured query language |
| API | Application programming interface |
| UX | User experience |
| IT | Information technology |
Social Media and Texting
| Short Form | Meaning |
| DM | Direct message |
| IMO | In my opinion |
| FTW | For the win |
| IRL | In real life |
| BRB | Be right back |
| AFK | Away from keyboard |
| TIA | Thanks in advance |
| IMO | In my opinion |
Business and Workplace
| Short Form | Meaning |
| ASAP | As soon as possible |
| ETA | Estimated time of arrival |
| CC | Carbon copy |
| OOO | Out of office |
| EOD | End of day |
| PR | Public relations |
| KPI | Key performance indicator |
These tables help summarize some common short forms in different contexts. Knowing the shorthand specific to your industry helps improve communication efficiency.
Conclusion
Short forms, acronyms, and abbreviations are ubiquitous in digital communication today. While they originate from a need for brevity and efficiency, short forms enable informal, expressive communication styles full of personality. Some find them annoying, but short forms seem likely to only increase in usage over time. Their flexibility and creativity reflect how language continually evolves to adapt to new technologies and contexts. By learning the most popular short forms, we can communicate casually and clearly online. Just don’t overdo it – some short forms work better in informal contexts than professional settings.