Hello! When informally communicating on the Internet, we very often use various kinds of abbreviations to speed up the process of exchanging information. For example, instead of “Thank you”, we write “thank you”; instead of “Please” and “You’re welcome” - “pzh” and “nz”; instead of “now” - just “sha”. English correspondence with short SMS messages also has its own abbreviations, which we will talk about today.
Abbreviations in English language Abbreviations are used not out of ignorance, but to save time and get your point across faster, without forgetting the most important thing. During live communication, we can easily quickly express a large amount of information, spending a few seconds. When corresponding on the Internet, in order to express even a short thought you will have to spend a minute, or even more. As a result, all the ideas that one wanted to highlight are often forgotten. In this case, various abbreviations come to the rescue.
Many abbreviations are already firmly entrenched in our speech, and we sometimes pronounce some words without even suspecting that they are acronyms, that is, abbreviations that have become independent words in our language.
One of the most popular Internet acronyms today is the abbreviation “IMHO”. Few people know that this is a tracing paper of the English abbreviation “IMHO”, which stands for “In My Humble Opinion” - “In My Humble Opinion”, that is, in Russian this abbreviation should look like “PMSM”.
The functionality and convenience of the Internet is actively used for learning English, including for correspondence and communication with native speakers on forums and chats. But if you are new to an English-language forum, then it will be difficult for you to understand what its participants are talking about, since they very often use abbreviations when writing sms on the Internet in English.
English abbreviations To make it easier for you to navigate English chat, but found, systematized and deciphered the most popular SMS abbreviations. I divided the abbreviations for correspondence into several groups:
The first group belongs to the category “As I hear, so I write”:
- u = you (you)
- ur = your (you)
- cu = cya = see you (see you)
- k = ok (ok, agreed)
- y = why (why)
- Any1 = anyone (any)
- gr8 = great
- 4u = for you (for you)
- u2 = you too (you too, you too)
The third group is the most popular colloquial phrases in the English language, which are written as abbreviations:
- np = no problem
- gf = girlfriend
- tc = take care (take care of yourself)
- bb = bye bye (bye, see you soon)
- omg = oh my god (Oh my God)
Of course, these are not all abbreviations in English. To make it easier for you to learn them or decipher them in a chat, I have created a special table that you can download, print and hang in a visible place.
Table "English abbreviations"
Many abbreviations and abbreviations from communication in 
Internet went to real communication in English, so it will be useful to know them. For example, the words "gonna" and "wanna", which are often used in ordinary speech, full version sound like “going to” and “want to”. But they are already firmly established in the English language in a compressed form.
And now the promised extended table:
Reduction | Full version | Translation |
« As I hear, so I write« |
||
| r | are | There is |
| b | be | be |
| u | you | You |
| y | why | Why |
| ur | your | you, your |
| n | and | And |
| k | ok | Fine |
| cu = cya | see you | see you |
| pls | please | Please |
| gimme | give me | give me |
| thx | thanks | Thank you |
Alphanumeric |
||
| be4 | before | before |
| some1 | someone | somebody |
| 2day | today | Today |
| gr8 | great | big |
| w8 | wait | wait |
| u2 | you too | you as well |
| 4u | for you | for you |
| str8 | straight | directly |
| 2u | to you | to you |
Abbreviations |
||
| bf | boyfriend | Friend |
| ty | thank you | Thank you |
| brb | be right back | I'll be back soon |
| hru | how are you | How are you |
| btw | by the way | By the way |
| omg | oh my god | Oh my God |
| bbl | be back later | I will be back later |
| tl | tender love | offer love |
| afaik | as far as I know | as far as I know |
| asl | age, sex, location | age, gender, location |
| b/t | between | between |
| lol | laughing out loud | I want to laugh |
| xoxo | kisses and hugs | hugs and kisses |
| uw | you are welcome | Welcome |
| bb | bye bye or baby | bye or baby |
| ntmu | nice to meet you | Very nice |
| n.p. | no problem | no problem |
| asap | as soon as possible | as fast as possible |
| wb | welcome back | go back |
| tc | take care | Take care |
| ttyl=ttul=t2ul | talk to you later | let's talk later |
| atm | at the moment | for now |
| lu = luv u | love you | Love you |
| rofl | rolling on the floor laughing | An analogue of our “pat the table” from laughter |
| yolo | you only live once | there is only one life |
I have a student who is involved in science. And in science there is nowhere without abbreviations. Yes, and in the usual writing, including fiction, not to mention specialized, abbreviations like e.g., i.e. or everyone knows etc. the darkness is dark. Some of them came from Latin language, but most are just abbreviations English words. I offer you a list of the most commonly used abbreviations (sometimes with examples and notes):
A.D.(anno Domini) - year AD
B.C.(Before Christ) - year BC
Please note that AD is placed before the date (AD64), BC after (300BC); when indicating the century, both come after the numeral (second century AD, fourth century BC)
approx.(aproximately / approximate) - approximately, approximately, approximate
avg.(average) - average, on average
ca.(circa - /?s3?k?/) - approximately, approximately: e.g. "People first came to the area ca 1700."
cent.(century, centuries) - century, centuries
cf.(confer, compare) - see also, cf., link often found in books
co.(column) - column
cont(d).(continued) - continuation. This abbreviation may have a different meaning depending on the context, for example, contained, contents, contraction, continent etc.
ctr.(center) - center, central d. (died, died in) - died: e.g. "The dean of the university at that time was Sir James Stone (d. 1965)."
ed.(edited, edition) - ed., publication, published
e.g.(exempli gratia - for example) - for example. Please note that this abbreviation is read exactly as “for example”! No unauthorized "and ji": e.g. "You can use different adjectives to describe it, e.g. wonderful, beautiful, amazing or splendid."
esp.(especially) - especially: e.g. "I like ice-cream, esp. pistachio-flavoured ice-cream."
est(d).(established / estimated) - founded; calculated, estimate: e.g. "He worked in TD McGuire est. 1987"; "He received est. $10mln."
et al.(et alii) - and others (in the bibliography "with co-authors")
incl.(including) - including: e.g. "They put everything in one box, incl. books on Chaucer."
hr(hours) - hour, hours: e.g. "This car can travel 230 km/hr."
max., min.(maximum, minimum) - maximum, minimum
misc.(miscellaneous) - other: e.g. "The shelf was full of misc. objects."
n.a.: 1) not applicable - not applicable to this case, not applicable: e.g. "This formula shows the general law (n.a. in acid environment)";
2) not available, non available - not available, no data
N.B.(nota bene - note particularly) - note bene, mark “notice well, take note”
No.(number) - number: e.g. "I gave him a mug with the text "I am Dad No.1"."
prev.(previous) - previous: e.g. "See prev. page for more information."
pt.(part) - part: e.g. "You can look it up in Quantum Physics pt. II."
qt.(quantity / quart) - quantity; quart
resp.(respectively) - accordingly: e.g. "Basic earnings increased 40% and 39% to $0.55 and $0.54 resp."
std.(standard) - standard, standard
vs.(versus) - against: e.g. "We went to see Alien vs. Predator"
w/(with) - with: e.g. "Add sugar w/ cinnamon to the batter."
w/o(without) - without: e.g. "There you can order sandwiches w/o mayo."
The English language uses a huge number of abbreviations.
Some of them like Mr or USA, understandable even to those who do not speak the language. Others are universal, e.g. P.S. or IQ. There are also abbreviations used only in writing, such as e.g., i.e.. or etc.
This article lists some commonly used abbreviations.
People and organizations
BBC= British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC, British Broadcasting Corporation)
EU= European Union (EU = European Union)
USA= United States of America (USA = United States of America)
UN= United Nations (UN = United Nations Organization)
P.M.= Prime Minister (Prime Minister)
M.D.= Medical Doctor (doctor)
MP= Member of Parliament
Time and dates
A.D.= Anno Domini (AD time, from the Nativity of Christ). The abbreviation has the same meaning B.C.E.(Before Common Era)
B.C.= Before Christ (time BC). Instead of B.C. abbreviation may be used C.E., which stands for Common Era.
Written forms only
Mr= Mister (Mr.)
Mrs= a married woman (Mrs., placed before the married woman’s surname)
Ms= a woman who may be single or married (Mrs., placed before the woman’s surname, regardless of her marital status)
St= Saint (Holy. For example, St Paul - St. Paul)
St= Street (street. For example, Baker St - Baker Street)
Dr= Doctor (dr., doctor)
etc.(et cetera) = and so on (and so on)
e.g.(exempli gratia) = for example (for example, for example)
i.e.(id est) = that is (that is)
Other abbreviations
AKA= Also known as
ASAP= As soon as possible (as soon as possible)
ATM= Automated Teller Machine (ATM)
BTW= By the way (by the way)
CV= Curriculum Vitae (summary)
DIY= Do it Yourself (do it yourself)
DOB= Date of Birth
FAQ=Frequently Asked Questions
FYI= For Your Information
GMO= Genetically Modified Organism (genetically modified organism)
HR= Human Resources (personnel department)
ID= Identification
IQ= Intelligence Quotient
IMHO= In my humble opinion (IMHO, in my humble opinion)
LOL= Laugh out loud (LOL, laughing out loud)
P.S.= Post Script (postscript, postscript)
PC= Personal Computer
PR= Public Relations (public relations)
R.I.P.= Rest in Peace (rest in peace)
SOS(SOS) is an international distress signal sent using Morse code. It is a sequence of “three dots - three dashes - three dots”. After the signal became widely used, the abbreviation SOS was invented different meanings, such as Save Our Souls, Save Our Ship, Stop Other Signals.
Any language is a tree with many branches. Written, spoken, slang, professional terms. What do you know about abbreviations in English? They are now generously used in notes, SMS and when communicating on the Internet. If you communicate with foreigners, this will definitely come in handy; I picked up a little bit on Facebook.))
So, the most popular...
- What does TNX or THX mean?
- What do NP and YW mean?
- What does PLZ or PLS mean?
- What does XOXO mean?
- What does LOL mean?
- What does ROFL mean?
- What does WTF mean?
- What does OMG mean?
- What does BRB mean?
- What does RLY mean?
- What does BTW mean?
- What does AFK or g2g mean?
- What do IMHO and FYI mean?
- What does AFAIK mean?
- What does SY mean?
- What does XYZ mean?
- What does BYOB mean?
- What does AC/DC mean?
The English language is replete with so many abbreviations that entire dictionaries are compiled to understand what is said and written. Abbreviations can be classified in different ways:
- by area of application
- type
- by visualization method
- by similarity of sound.
Most abbreviations are built like an acronym. An abbreviation can be initialized, that is, the initial letters of the constituent words are used for abbreviation. Another type of abbreviation is called alphabetic. There are also mixed types. They are also found in English.
Abbreviations for SMS
A striking example of such an abbreviation is specific combinations for writing SMS. A whole language has been invented from hundreds of words, understandable, however, to both the sender and the addressee. Let's say you receive a message from an English-speaking subscriber: ADIDAU BILY, this is not a network error, this is a confession: “All Day I Dream About You Because I Love You.”
Several Yet:
Abbreviations are used not only in messages sent via modern gadgets, but also in quite traditional correspondence.
Abbreviations in correspondence
IN business correspondence Many abbreviations are used, from job titles: CA - certified accountant, CEO (chief executive officer) - senior officer to specific terms: col. (collection) - collection, collection; b/l (Bill of lading) - bill of lading/waybill
When filling out the address cell on an envelope, people do not write Street in full, replacing it with the abbreviation St - street.
And in the letter itself, the recipient, seeing the combinations of the letters “pls”, “ppl”, “Q.” can easily read: please, people, question.
Dimension abbreviations
As in Russian, English often resorts to abbreviations when writing various measurements. A barrel is designated as bbl, a foot is ft, an ounce is oz, a quart is qt.
In English some time-related abbreviations, are written as an acronym, for example, the names of the months: Apr. , Aug./Ag., Dec. They are pronounced in full form: April, August, December.
Others, say, indicating the time of day: a.m., p.m. - in letters, that is, the way they are written.
Symbolic abbreviations very common. Many of them are international in nature.
The number is indicated by the sign #, “and” - &, the dollar is written as $, the pound sterling and euro correspond to the symbols £ and €. The copyright symbol is ©.
Geographical, phonetic, visual abbreviations
Abbreviation of geographical names, such as states, provinces and even individual cities are far from uncommon in the English language. An example would be the abbreviation for the District of Columbia DC or the city of Washington, WA.
An interesting type of abbreviation - phonetic and visual. The first are based on the consonance of some words and numbers. 10Q is similar to Thank You, 2ez is similar to Too easy. F2F - to Face to Face (face to face) and in written speech replace these expressions.
Conversational abbreviations
Abbreviations of the most frequently used expressions have almost become a literary norm. They can not only be heard in colloquial speech, but also found in the works of writers or in the words of songs. Their unique feature is that an expression consisting of several words is not only pronounced together, but also written in one word. The words that make up the phrase. I am is shortened to I’m, I have is shortened to I’ve, I will is shortened to I’ll.
There are even shorter options: I had or I would are spoken and written as I’d, You had or you would as You’d, and He is or he has as He’s.
| You will | You'll |
| You have | You've |
| You are | You're |
| Wouldn't | Wouldn't |
| Will not | Won't |
| Were not | Weren't |
| We will | We'll |
| We have | We've |
| We had/we would | We'd |
| We are | We're |
| Was not | Wasn't |
| They will | They'll |
| They have | They've |
| They had / they would | They'd |
| They are | They're |
| There will | There'll |
| There is / there has | There's |
| There had / there would | There'd |
| Should not | Shouldn't |
| She will | She'll |
| She is / she has | She's |
| She had/she would | She'd |
| Shall not | Shan't |
| Ought not | Oughtn't |
| Need not | Needn't |
| Must not | Mustn't |
| Might not | Mightn't |
| It is / it has | It's |
| Is not | Isn't |
| I will | I'll |
| I have | I've |
| He won't | He'll |
| He had/he would | He'd |
| Have not | Haven't |
| Has not | Hasn't |
| Had not | Hadn't |
| Doesn't | Doesn't |
| Don't | Don't |
| Dare not | Daren't |
| Could not | Couldn't |
| Are not | Aren't |
Some slang expressions have acquired a new sound and are written together.
