Text abbreviations are shorthand for words and phrases — LOL for "laughing out loud," EOD for "end of day," ICYMI for "in case you missed it." They keep texts short, which matters when you're typing on a phone or paying per 160-character segment. Below is a glossary of 150+ of them, grouped by where you'll actually run into them, plus a quick guide to which ones belong in a business text and which to leave in your group chat.
This is PitchPrfct's blog, so we build SMS software. But this glossary is for anyone who texts — bookmark it, search it, and use it to decode the next message that leaves you guessing.
Key takeaways
- Abbreviations save space and time, but only when the reader already knows them.
- In customer texts, stick to the few everyone understands (FYI, ASAP, EOD) and spell out the rest.
- Slang like LOL, TBH, or IDK reads as casual — fine for some brands, off-brand for others.
- Skip anything ambiguous (LMK, NRN, WFH) with a customer who's never met you.
- Templates with merge fields keep your team's texts clear and consistent without guessing.
Common everyday texting abbreviations
These are the ones almost everyone recognizes. You'll see them in personal texts, group chats, and casual replies.
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Example / notes |
|---|---|---|
| LOL | Laughing out loud | "LOL that's perfect" |
| LMAO | Laughing my ass off | Stronger than LOL; casual |
| ROFL | Rolling on the floor laughing | Older, still used |
| BRB | Be right back | "BRB, grabbing my coffee" |
| BTW | By the way | "BTW, the meeting moved" |
| IDK | I don't know | "IDK, let me check" |
| IDC | I don't care | Can read blunt — use carefully |
| IMO / IMHO | In my opinion / in my humble opinion | "IMO the blue one's better" |
| TBH | To be honest | "TBH I'd skip it" |
| SMH | Shaking my head | Disbelief or disappointment |
| OMG | Oh my god | Surprise |
| IKR | I know, right? | Agreement |
| NVM | Never mind | "NVM, found it" |
| TTYL | Talk to you later | Sign-off |
| THX / TY | Thanks / thank you | "THX so much" |
| YW | You're welcome | Reply to thanks |
| NP | No problem | "NP, happy to help" |
| WYD | What you doing? | Very casual |
| HRU | How are you? | Casual opener |
| JK | Just kidding | Softens a joke |
| FWIW | For what it's worth | "FWIW, I'd wait" |
| IIRC | If I recall correctly | "IIRC it's on Friday" |
| AFAIK | As far as I know | Hedges a claim |
| WDYT | What do you think? | "WDYT of this one?" |
| GTG / G2G | Got to go | Sign-off |
| HMU | Hit me up | "HMU when you're free" |
| ILY | I love you | Personal only |
| OFC | Of course | Agreement |
| RN | Right now | "Can't talk RN" |
| OTW | On the way | "OTW, 5 min out" |
Reactions, tone & emphasis
Short bursts that carry tone more than information. They tell the reader how to read the message.
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Example / notes |
|---|---|---|
| FR | For real | "FR, that was great" |
| NGL | Not gonna lie | "NGL, I'm impressed" |
| ISTG | I swear to god | Strong emphasis |
| DEAD | Extremely funny | Slang, not literal |
| LMK | Let me know | Common but vague to strangers |
| WBU / HBU | What about you / how about you | Reply opener |
| SUS | Suspicious | Casual slang |
| FOMO | Fear of missing out | "Big FOMO on that sale" |
| GOAT | Greatest of all time | Praise |
| W / L | Win / loss | "That's a W" |
| MID | Mediocre | Slang judgment |
| BET | Okay / agreed | "Bet, see you then" |
| IFYKYK | If you know, you know | Insider reference |
| TFW | That feeling when | Precedes a relatable moment |
| OOMF | One of my followers | Social-media slang |
| YOLO | You only live once | Older slang |
| FTW | For the win | Enthusiasm |
| SMDH | Shaking my damn head | Stronger SMH |
Business & professional abbreviations
These show up in work texts, internal team threads, and quick coordination. Most are safe with colleagues. Use judgment before sending them to a customer.
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Example / notes |
|---|---|---|
| FYI | For your information | Widely understood; customer-safe |
| ASAP | As soon as possible | Customer-safe |
| EOD | End of day | "I'll send it by EOD" |
| EOW | End of week | Internal more than customer |
| COB | Close of business | Same as EOD in many offices |
| TBD | To be determined | "Date is TBD" |
| TBA | To be announced | Events, schedules |
| OOO | Out of office | "I'm OOO until Monday" |
| WFH | Work from home | Internal only |
| PTO | Paid time off | Internal |
| ETA | Estimated time of arrival | Customer-safe for deliveries |
| RSVP | Please respond | Events, invitations |
| ETC | Et cetera / and so on | Customer-safe |
| AKA | Also known as | "Our pro plan, AKA the unlimited tier" |
| DIY | Do it yourself | Customer-safe |
| FAQ | Frequently asked questions | Customer-safe |
| N/A | Not applicable | Forms, replies |
| TIA | Thanks in advance | Polite sign-off |
| NRN | No reply needed | Often missed — spell it out |
| PRB | Please reply by | Niche; spell it out |
| EOM | End of message | Email/subject-line habit |
| WIP | Work in progress | Internal status |
| ETF | Estimated time of finish | Niche |
| MTG | Meeting | "Quick mtg at 2?" |
| AGM | Annual general meeting | Formal contexts |
Sales & marketing abbreviations
The acronyms you'll see in marketing dashboards, sales notes, and campaign copy. These are mostly for your team, not your customer.
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Example / notes |
|---|---|---|
| CTA | Call to action | "Add a clear CTA to the text" |
| ROI | Return on investment | "What's the ROI on SMS?" |
| KPI | Key performance indicator | Reporting |
| CRM | Customer relationship management | Software category |
| B2B / B2C | Business-to-business / -consumer | Audience type |
| BOGO | Buy one, get one | Promo offer — fine in copy if explained |
| SKU | Stock keeping unit | Inventory |
| UGC | User-generated content | Marketing |
| CTR | Click-through rate | Email/SMS metric |
| CPC | Cost per click | Ad metric |
| CPL | Cost per lead | Performance metric |
| LTV | Lifetime value | "High-LTV customers" |
| CAC | Customer acquisition cost | Unit economics |
| MQL / SQL | Marketing / sales qualified lead | Pipeline stages |
| AOV | Average order value | E-commerce metric |
| DM | Direct message | "Slide into the DMs" / "DM us" |
| SMB | Small and midsize business | Audience segment |
| SaaS | Software as a service | Product category |
| EOQ | End of quarter | Sales cadence |
| QoQ / YoY | Quarter over quarter / year over year | Growth reporting |
Dates, times & logistics
Shorthand for scheduling and coordination. A few are customer-safe; most read cleaner spelled out in a text to someone you don't know.
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Example / notes |
|---|---|---|
| ETA | Estimated time of arrival | "ETA 15 min" — great for deliveries |
| EOD | End of day | Internal more than customer |
| TMRW / TMW | Tomorrow | Casual |
| TGIF | Thank goodness it's Friday | Casual |
| 24/7 | All day, every day | "Support 24/7" — customer-safe |
| AM / PM | Morning / afternoon | Always spell times clearly |
| MIN / HR | Minute / hour | "Be there in 10 min" |
| APPT | Appointment | "Your appt is confirmed" |
| CONF | Confirm / confirmation | Niche; spell it out for clarity |
| RESV | Reservation | Niche |
| DOB | Date of birth | Forms |
| ETD | Estimated time of departure | Logistics, shipping |
Texting acronyms you'll see but shouldn't send to customers
These are common in personal chat and easy to misread in a business context. Some are blunt, some are insider, some just look unprofessional from a brand.
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Why to skip it in customer SMS |
|---|---|---|
| FML | (Frustrated exclamation) | Crude; off-brand |
| WTF | (Strong exclamation) | Profanity; never in customer texts |
| STFU | (Rude exclamation) | Never |
| AF | (As an intensifier) | Reads crude |
| IDGAF | I don't care | Rude |
| TF | (Intensifier) | Crude |
| FFS | (Frustrated exclamation) | Crude |
| LMAO / LMFAO | Laughing | Too casual for most brands |
| THOT / SUS | Slang | Easily misread |
| 4U / GR8 / L8R | For you / great / later | Numeronyms read as spam or dated |
| U / UR / Y / R | You / your / why / are | Single-letter swaps look low-effort |
| PLZ / PLS | Please | Spell it out — it's two extra letters |
Key takeaways: when abbreviations help vs hurt in business SMS Abbreviations help when the reader already shares the shorthand — a "your appt is confirmed, ETA 15 min" text is clear and friendly. They hurt when the reader has to decode them, or when they make a brand look careless. Rule of thumb: in a customer text, use only the abbreviations a stranger would understand instantly (FYI, ASAP, ETA, FAQ), spell out the rest, and never use crude or slangy ones.
Which abbreviations are safe in customer texts?
Most businesses text people who didn't grow up in the same group chat. The safe list is short on purpose:
- Safe with almost anyone: FYI, ASAP, ETA, FAQ, RSVP, 24/7, AM/PM, appt.
- Fine if your brand is casual (a boutique, a gym, a food truck): a light LOL, TY, or 👍 can warm up a reply. Match your real voice.
- Skip with strangers: LMK, NRN, NGL, TBH, IDK, WFH, EOW — they read as internal shorthand or overly familiar.
- Never: profanity acronyms (WTF, FML, AF) and single-letter swaps (u, ur, plz) — they undercut trust and can make a legitimate message look like spam.
The goal of a business text isn't to sound young or clever. It's to be understood in one read. When in doubt, spell it out — you've got 160 characters, and clarity wins more replies than brevity.
Keep business texts clear with templates
The fastest way to keep abbreviations consistent across a team is to stop typing
each text from scratch. Saved templates with merge fields like {firstName} let
everyone send the same clear, on-brand message in a tap — no one's improvising
"u" instead of "you," and the personalization fills in automatically.
A template also lets you decide once whether "appt" or "appointment" fits your brand, then reuse it everywhere. That consistency is what makes a customer trust the number texting them.
Related reading
- New to the channel? Start with what SMS marketing is.
- Want messages you can copy and send today? Grab our SMS templates.
- Looking for ideas by goal and industry? See SMS marketing examples.
Frequently asked questions
What does each common text abbreviation mean?
Are text abbreviations okay to use in business texts?
What does ICYMI mean?
What's the difference between an abbreviation and an acronym?
Do abbreviations save money on SMS?
What does NRN mean in a text?
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