SMS language (also known as txt, txtspk, texting language or txt talk) refers to the English language slang used on mobile phone SMS, although with the increasing prevalence of predictive text input, it is now less common. It is an abbreviated form of English, derived from rebus, a writing system popular with Benjamin Franklin. It is similar to leet, but without the script kiddie content. Another example of this is AOL speak.

It evolved from the shorthand used in Internet chatrooms due to the small number of characters allowed in a text message and the small keyboards on mobile phones.

The aim of txt is to reduce the number of characters needed to put across a meaning. One casualty of this principle is that punctuation is widely disregarded.

txt devices

Single letters can be used to replace words. Examples include:

• be becomes b
• see becomes c
• are becomes r
• you becomes u
• why becomes y

Equally, single digits can be used to replace words. Examples include:

• ate becomes 8
• for becomes 4
• to, too, or two becomes 2
   

Individual syllables can be replaced with a single letter or digit. Examples:

• ate becomes 8, so:
  • activate becomes activ8
  • great becomes gr8
  • mate becomes m8
  • later becomes l8r
  • plate becomes pl8
• be becomes b
• for or Fore becomes 4, so:
  • before becomes (combining both of the above) b4
  • therefore becomes there4

More miscellaneous adaptations of characters include:

• ss being replaced with $
• oo being replaced with %

Combinations of the above can be used to shorten single or multiple words. Examples:

• your and you are both become ur

Other transcriptions of slang or dialect terms can be used if they are shorter than the original. A good example of this is the way in which because, often pronounced as cos in English, is written like so, saving four characters.

Another device used in text language is the removal of vowels from a verb, such that a set of consonants remain, which should still be recognisable as a word. So, between could become btwn.

Equally, whole words may be omitted, especially articles.

Another device used, is the replacement of an 'orr' with the abbreviation 'oz'. Hence Sorry would become Soz and Tomorrow would become Tomoz. This can be further abbreviated into 2moz.

'Sorry I forgot to phone you. I will see you tomorrow'

...would become...

soz i 4gt 2 fon u.i c u 2moz

The use of punctuation is limited. Only full-stops and exclamation marks are ever used in general. After a full stop, a space and capital letter is often omitted.

SMS TXT Abbreviations

There are a number of txt abbreviations which are commonly recognised (these are not to be confused with initialisms, which are also commonly used) and can be found in the list below, or can be found at transl8it! where the portal allows for translations made both to and from English:

wuu2	yw
What are you up to?	you're welcome

 

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Examples

Combining the above "techniques" can shorten whole sentences. Using website portals such as transl8it! a community of users has helped standardize this text speak by allowing users to submit translations, staking claim with their user handle, or to submit top messages and guess the lingo phrases. Using the free website service sms translations can are easily made both to and from English as sampled below:

Short messages can be made shorter still.

• Are you going to the pub tonight? becomes ru goin pub 2nyt

Longer messages may also be considerably shortened. A typical text message might read:

hi m8 u k?-sry i 4gt 2 cal u lst nyt-y dnt we go c film 2moz

This is 60 characters long.

This would "translate" into standard English as so:

Hi mate. Are you okay? I am sorry that I forgot to call you last night. Why don't we go and see a film tomorrow?

This is 112 characters long.

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More SMS abbreviations

404	A3	AAP
I don't know (adopted from the http error code 404)	Anytime, anywhere, anyplace	Always a pleasure
AAR	AAS	ADD
At any rate	Alive and smiling	Address
ADN	AEAP	AFAIK
Any day now	As early as possible	As far as I know
AFK	AISB	AKA
Away from keyboard	As it should be	Also known as
AML	AOTA	ASAP
All my love	All of the above	As soon as possible
A/S/L or ASL	AT	ATM
Age/sex/location	At your terminal	At the moment
AYEC	AYOR	B/F
At your earliest convenience	At your own risk	Boyfriend
B4	B4N	BAK
Before	Bye for now	Back at keyboard
BAU	BBIAF	BBIAM
Business as usual	Be back in a few	Be back in a minute
BBL	BBS	BC
Be back later	Be back soon	Because
BCNU	BF	BFN
Be seein' you	Best friend	Bye for now
BG	BGWM	BLNT
Big grin	Be gentle with me	Better luck next time
BM&Y	BOL	BRB
Between me and you	Best of luck	Be right back
BRT	BTA	BTDT
Be right there	But then again	Been there, done that
BTW	CMIIW	CMON
By the way	Correct me if I'm wrong	Come on
COB	COS	CR8
Close of business	Because	Create
CRB	CRBT	CU
Come right back	Crying really big tears	See you
CUA	CUL	CUL8R
See you around	See you later	See you later
CWYL	CYO	CYA
Chat with you later	See you online	See ya
D/L	DL	DEGT
Download	Download	Don't even go there
DIKU	DQMOT	DTS
Do I know you?	Don't quote me on this	Don't think so
DV8	EBKAC	EG
Deviate	Error between keyboard and chair	Evil grin
EMA	EMFBI	EOD
E-mail address	Excuse me for butting in	End of day
EOM	EZY	F2F
End of message	Easy	Face to face
F2T	FBM	FC
Free to talk	Fine by me	Fingers crossed
FICCL	FISH	FOMCL
Frankly I couldn't care a less	First in, still here	Falling off my chair laughing
FITB	FRT	FWIW
Fill in the blank	For real though	For what it's worth
FYEO	FYI	G
For your eyes only	For your information	Grin
G/F	G2CU	G2G
Girlfriend	Good to see you	Got to go
G2R	G9	GA
Got to run	Genius	Go ahead
GAL	GB	GBU
Get a life	Goodbye	God bless you
GDR	GFI	GG
Grinning, ducking, and running	Go for it	Gotta Go or Good Game
GIAR	GIGO	GL
Give it a rest	Garbage in, garbage out	Good luck
GL/HF	GLNG	GMTA
Good luck, have fun	Good luck next game	Great minds think alike
OI	GOL	GR8
Get over it	Giggling out loud	Great
GR&D	GT	GTG
Grinning, running and ducking	Good try	Got to go
GTRM	H&K	H2CUS
Going to read mail	Hugs & kisses	Hope to see you soon
H8	HAGN	HAGO
Hate	Have a good night	Have a good one
HAND	HF	HHIS
Have a nice day	Have fun	Head hanging in shame
HOAS	HRU	HTH
Hold on a second	How are you?	Hope this helps
HV	IAC	IANAL
Have	In any case	I am not a lawyer
IB	IC	ICBW
I'm back	I see	It could be worse
IDK	IDTS	IDUNNO
I don't know	I don't think so	I don't know
IG2R	IIRC	ILBL8
I got to run	If I remember correctly	I'll be late
ILU	ILY	IM
I love you	I love you	Instant message
IMHO	IMNSHO	IMO
In my humble opinion	In my not so humble opinion	In my opinion
IMS	INAL	IOW
I am sorry	I'm not a lawyer	In other words
IRL	IRMC	IUSS
In real life	I rest my case	If you say so
IYKWIM	IYO	IYSS
If you know what I mean	In your opinion	If you say so
j00r	JAC	JIC
Your	Just a sec	Just in case
JJA	JK	JMO
Just joking around	Just kidding	Just my opinion
JP	k/b	KISS
Just playing	keyboard	Keep it simple, stupid
KIT	KOTC	KOTL
Keep in touch	Kiss on the cheek	Kiss on the lips
KNIM	l33t	L8R
Know what I mean?	leet "elite"	Later
LD	LERK	LMAO
Later, Long distance	leaving easy reach of keyboard	Laughing my a** off
LOL	LTM	LTNS
Laughing out loud	Laugh to myself	Long time no see
LYLAS	LYK	M8
Love you like a sis	like	Mate
MFI	MorF	MSG
Mad for it	Male or female?	Message
MTF	MTFBWU	MUSM
More to follow	May the force be with you	Miss you so much
MYOB	n00b	N1
Mind your own business	Newbie	Nice one
NBD	NE	NE1
No big deal	Any	Anyone
NFM	NIMBY	NLT
None for me / Not for me	Not in my back yard	No later than

NM	NMH	NO1
Nothing much / Never mind	Not much here	No one
NOYB	NP	NRN
None of your business	No problem	No response/reply necessary

NVM	NW	NW)
Never mind	No way	No way out
OIC	OMG	OMW
Oh, I see	Oh my God	On my way
OO	OOH	OOTD
Over and out	Out of here	One of these days
OP	OTB	OTL
On phone	Off to bed	Out to lunch
OTOH	OTT	OTTOMH
On the other hand	Over the top	Off the top of my head
OTW	OVA	PCM
Off to work	Over	Please call me
PDQ	PLMK	PLS
Pretty darn quick	Please let me know	Please
PLZ	PM	PMFI
Please	Private Message	Pardon me for interrupting
PMFJI	POAHF	PPL
Pardon me for jumping in	Put on a happy face	People
PROLLY	PRT	PTL
Probably	Party	Praise the Lord
PTMM	PXT	PU
Please tell me more	Please explain that	That stinks!
Q	QIK	QT
Queue	Quick	Cutie
RL	RME	ROFL
Real life	Rolling my eyes	Rolling on floor laughing
ROTFL	ROTFLUTS	RSN
Rolling on the floor laughing	Rolling on the floor laughing unable to speak	Real soon now
RTM	RUOK	SAL
Read the manual	Are you okay?	Such a laugh
SBTSBC	SC	SETE
Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel	Stay cool	Smiling Ear-to-Ear
S ICNR	SIG2R	SIS
Sorry, I could not resist	Sorry, I got to run	Snickering in silence
SIT	SLAP	SMHID
Stay in touch	Sounds like a plan	Scratching my head in disbelief
SNAFU	SO	SOL
Situation normal all fouled up	Significant other	Sooner or later
SOMY	SOTMG	SOZ
Sick of me yet?	Short of time, must go	Sorry

SPK	SPST	SRY
Speak	Same place, same time	Sorry
SS	SSDD	SSINF
So sorry	Same stuff, different day	So stupid it's not funny

STR8	STW	SUITM
Straight	Search the Web	See you in the morning
SUL	SUP	SYL
See you later	What's up?	See you later
T+	TA	TAFN
Think positive	Thanks a lot	That's all for now
TAM	TBD	TBH
Tomorrow a.m.	To be determined	To be honest
TC	TGIF	THX
Take care	Thank God it's Friday	Thanks
THNX	THNQ	TIA
Thanks	Thank-you	Thanks in advance
TIAD	TLK2UL8R	TMB
Tomorrow is another day	Talk to you later	Text me back
TMI	TMOT	TMWFI
Too much information	Trust me on this	Take my word for it
TNSTAAFL	TPM	TPTB
There's no such thing as a free lunch	Tomorrow p.m.	The powers that be
TSTB	TTFN	TTTT
The sooner, the better	Ta ta for now	These things take time
TTYL	TTYS	TU
Talk to you later	Talk to you soon	Thank you
TY	TYT	TYVM
Thank you	Take your time	Thank you very much
UGTBK	UKTR	UL
You've got to be kidding	You know that's right	Upload
UR	UV	UW
Your / You're	Unpleasant visual	You're welcome
WAM	WAN2TLK	WAYF
Wait a minute	Want to talk	Where are you from?
W/B	WB	W/E
Write back	Welcome back	Whatever
WIIFM	WK	WKD
What's in it for me?	Week	Weekend
WOMBAT	WRK	WRUD
Waste of money, brains and time	Work	What are you doing?
WTG	WTH	WU?
Way to go	What the heck?	What's up?
WUBU2?	WUCIWUG	WUF?
What have you been up to?	What you see is what you get	Where are you from?
WUWH	WWJD	WWYC
Wish you were here	What would Jesus do?	Write when you can
WYLEI	WYSIWYG	X
When you least expect it	What you see is what you get	Kiss
XLNT	YA	YBS
Excellent	Your	You'll be sorry
YGBKM	YKWYCD	YMMV
You've got to be kidding me	You know what you can do	Your mileage may vary
YR	YW	ZZZZ
Your	You're welcome	bored/sleeping

References

• Rai, Himanshu (October 30, 2005). "Thumbs Up!". New Straits Times, p. F14.

Smiley and Graphic Text Messages sent in by you

=^_U=	?
x0x0x	?
:-)P	It's rude to pull your tongue
:)$	Man with beard ?
:@	surprised ?
:X	Cross ?
;l	Sceptical ?
~~m^^m~~	?
8^+	not sure what this means ?
:s	Shocked
>'o'<	Shouting?
:P	STICKING UR TONGUE OWT
:- D	welcome
(.)(.)	?
:<	sad
<3	love
:)))	big grin
;=]	smile and wink
(\_/) (O.o) (")(")	bunny
:*	kiss
</3	Broken Heart
\=!	cool with a cap
:-) X	happy face and kiss