{"id":8842,"date":"2009-08-11T20:56:44","date_gmt":"2009-08-11T15:26:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=8842"},"modified":"2026-10-13T13:37:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T08:07:21","slug":"im-sms-chat-acronyms-emoticons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/im-sms-chat-acronyms-emoticons\/","title":{"rendered":"Most Common Chat Acronyms, Emoticons and Emoji Meanings (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Confused by &#8220;NGL&#8221;, &#8220;IYKYK&#8221; or &#8220;SMH&#8221; in a group chat? Chat acronyms started in the days of SMS and instant messengers, when every character counted. They are still everywhere in WhatsApp, Instagram, X and Slack, along with new slang and emoji. Here are the most common <strong>chat acronyms<\/strong>, emoticons and emoji meanings you need to know in 2026, from classics to new favourites.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-64072\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/chat-acronyms-emoticons-1024x538.webp\" alt=\"Most common chat acronyms and emoticons\" width=\"1024\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/chat-acronyms-emoticons-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/chat-acronyms-emoticons-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/chat-acronyms-emoticons-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/chat-acronyms-emoticons-768x403.webp 768w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/chat-acronyms-emoticons.webp 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> The most common chat acronyms are LOL (laughing out loud), BRB (be right back), BTW (by the way), IMO (in my opinion), TBH (to be honest), IDK (I don&#8217;t know), NGL (not gonna lie), SMH (shaking my head), FR (for real) and TTYL (talk to you later). At work you will often see FYI, ASAP, EOD, OOO and WFH.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae4beab09808\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6ae4beab09808\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/im-sms-chat-acronyms-emoticons\/#Most_common_chat_acronyms\" >Most common chat acronyms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/im-sms-chat-acronyms-emoticons\/#Work_chat_acronyms\" >Work chat acronyms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/im-sms-chat-acronyms-emoticons\/#Classic_text_emoticons\" >Classic text emoticons<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/im-sms-chat-acronyms-emoticons\/#Emoji_that_mean_something_different\" >Emoji that mean something different<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/im-sms-chat-acronyms-emoticons\/#Tips_for_using_chat_acronyms\" >Tips for using chat acronyms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/im-sms-chat-acronyms-emoticons\/#FAQ\" >FAQ<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/im-sms-chat-acronyms-emoticons\/#What_does_SMH_mean_in_chat\" >What does SMH mean in chat?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/im-sms-chat-acronyms-emoticons\/#What_does_IYKYK_mean\" >What does IYKYK mean?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/08\/im-sms-chat-acronyms-emoticons\/#Is_LOL_still_used\" >Is LOL still used?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Most_common_chat_acronyms\"><\/span>Most common chat acronyms<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Acronym<\/th>\n<th>Meaning<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>LOL<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Laughing out loud<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>BRB<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Be right back<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>BTW<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>By the way<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>IMO \/ IMHO<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>In my (humble) opinion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>TBH<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>To be honest<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>NGL<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Not gonna lie<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>IKR<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>I know, right?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>SMH<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Shaking my head (disappointment)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>FR<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>For real<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>IYKYK<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>If you know, you know<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>TL;DR<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Too long; didn&#8217;t read (summary follows)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>ICYMI<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>In case you missed it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>FOMO<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Fear of missing out<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>GOAT<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Greatest of all time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>OOO<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Out of office<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>WFH<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Work from home<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>DM<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Direct message<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>FYI<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>For your information<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>ASAP<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>As soon as possible<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>TTYL<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Talk to you later<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>NVM<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Never mind<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>IDK<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>I don&#8217;t know<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>JK<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Just kidding<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>POV<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Point of view (often a video set-up)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>RN<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Right now<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>TY \/ YW<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Thank you \/ You&#8217;re welcome<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Work_chat_acronyms\"><\/span>Work chat acronyms<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>EOD \/ EOW:<\/strong> end of day \/ end of week<\/li>\n<li><strong>ETA:<\/strong> estimated time of arrival (or completion)<\/li>\n<li><strong>TBD \/ TBC:<\/strong> to be decided \/ to be confirmed<\/li>\n<li><strong>PTO:<\/strong> paid time off<\/li>\n<li><strong>LGTM:<\/strong> looks good to me (common in code reviews)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Classic_text_emoticons\"><\/span>Classic text emoticons<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><code>:-)<\/code> or <code>:)<\/code> smile<\/li>\n<li><code>;-)<\/code> wink<\/li>\n<li><code>:-D<\/code> big grin<\/li>\n<li><code>:-(<\/code> sad<\/li>\n<li><code>:-P<\/code> tongue out<\/li>\n<li><code>&lt;3<\/code> heart<\/li>\n<li><code>\u00af\\_(\u30c4)_\/\u00af<\/code> shrug<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Most apps now turn these into emoji automatically. For more, see our collection of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2020\/03\/valentines-kiss-smileys-love-emoticons\/\">love and kiss emoticons<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Emoji_that_mean_something_different\"><\/span>Emoji that mean something different<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\ud83d\udc80 (skull): &#8220;I&#8217;m dying of laughter&#8221;, not something sad.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\ude2d (loudly crying): often used for laughing or being overwhelmed.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\ude43 (upside-down face): sarcasm or awkwardness.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc40 (eyes): &#8220;I see that&#8221; or curiosity about gossip.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udd25 (fire): something is great or popular.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_for_using_chat_acronyms\"><\/span>Tips for using chat acronyms<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Know your audience. Slang that works with friends can confuse parents, customers or colleagues.<\/li>\n<li>Avoid acronyms in formal emails and customer support.<\/li>\n<li>When in doubt, write it out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Want to stand out with special characters? Try these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2008\/09\/unicode-symbols-in-twitter\/\">Unicode symbols<\/a>, or find a fun <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2026\/10\/whatsapp-dp\/\">WhatsApp DP<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQ\"><\/span>FAQ<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_SMH_mean_in_chat\"><\/span>What does SMH mean in chat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;Shaking my head&#8221;, used to show disappointment or disbelief.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_does_IYKYK_mean\"><\/span>What does IYKYK mean?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;If you know, you know&#8221;: a reference only some people will understand.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_LOL_still_used\"><\/span>Is LOL still used?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes, though younger users often prefer &#8220;lmao&#8221; or the \ud83d\udc80 and \ud83d\ude2d emoji.<\/p>\n<p><em>Originally written by guest blogger Srikanth of the Tech Inspiration blog at ekoob.com. Updated for 2026 by QuickOnlineTips.<\/em> What acronym confuses you most? Ask in the comments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Confused by &#8220;NGL&#8221;, &#8220;IYKYK&#8221; or &#8220;SMH&#8221; in a group chat? Chat acronyms started in the days of SMS and instant&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":64072,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[44,52],"class_list":["post-8842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-media","tag-guest-posts","tag-popular"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8842"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8842\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65303,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8842\/revisions\/65303"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}