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Popular abbreviations in English

To chat in English like a real native, you need to know all the popular abbreviations. Abbreviations and Internet slang will help you not be the black ship among English speakers and pass for your own everywhere.

Why do we need abbreviations in English

Like any other language, English is full of all sorts of abbreviations and abbreviations.

What is worth remembering all these abbreviations of measurement measures, days of the week and duty phrases. Now that most communication takes place online, simplification and reduction in correspondence has reached its peak.

Also read our article - 1000 most popular words in English !

Here is an example of standard correspondence in English:

• WUZZUP G2TU SMTH LMK WH5 WB ASAP
• IDK TTYL G2G

It seems that this is not at all the correspondence of two people, but mysterious letters left by an extraterrestrial civilization. And here is the translation of the "alien" correspondence.

- Hello how are you? We need to discuss something with you. Let me know when you can. Reply as soon as possible.

I don't know yet, we'll talk later. I have to go now.

To easily decipher such messages and compose them yourself, memorize the most popular abbreviations and abbreviations of the English language.

Popular abbreviations

The more abbreviations and abbreviations you know, the less likely you are to get into an awkward situation.

Abbreviations derived from Latin:

You can find such abbreviations everywhere: in books, magazines, online articles, and even in spoken language.

• (et cetera) - and so on

err. (erratum, errata) - error, errors

1. al. (et alia) - and others

ex - former

1. (extra) - outside, outside

• eg (exempli gratia) - for example

fin. (finis) - end

• ie (id est) - that is
• (versus) - against

NB (nota bene) - remember well, pay special attention

• AD (Anno Domini) - AD, from the Nativity of Christ
• BC (Before Christ) - BC, before the birth of Christ
• AM (ante meridiem) - until noon
• PM (post meridiem) - after noon
• PS (post scriptum) - postscript, note at the end of the letter

Abbreviations of the days of the week

Used in writing. There are two options: a three-letter abbreviation and a two-letter abbreviation for those in a hurry.

If in Russian, to shorten a word, you need to shake out all the vowels from it (for example: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun), then in English it is customary to simply cut off the word on the first syllable:

• Monday - Mon - Mo - Monday
• Tuesday - Tue - Tu - Tuesday
• Wednesday - Wed - We - Wednesday
• Thursday - Thu - Th - Thursday
• Friday - Fri - Fr - Friday
• Saturday - Sat - Sa - Saturday
• Sunday - Sun - Su - Sunday

Abbreviations of months, seasons

• January-Jan-January
• February - Feb - February
• March - March - March
• April - April - April
• June - June - June
• July - Jul - July
• August - Aug - August
• September - Sept - September
• October - Oct - October
• November - Nov - November
• December - Dec - December

Holiday abbreviations

• Birthday - B-day - birthday
• Christmas - X-mas - Christmas
• New Year - NY - New Year
• Thanksgiving day - Thnksgiv - Thanksgiving Day
• Valentine's Day - VD - Valentine's Day

You can congratulate on your birthday in Russian briefly: “with others”, both in writing and orally. In English, this can only be reflected in the letter “Happy B-day”.

Measure abbreviations

For any Russian-speaking person, the English and American systems of measures are a real puzzle, but you also need to remember the conditional abbreviations. You never know where you will need to convert miles to kilometers.

• mph (miles per hour) - miles per hour, 1 mile = 1.6 km.
• kph (kilometers per hour) - kilometers per hour.
• (foot) - foot, 1 foot = 30 cm 48 mm.
• lb (libra) - pound, 1 pound = 450 gr.
• (ounce) - ounce, 1 ounce \u003d 28 gr.
• (pint) - pint, 1 pint \u003d 0.56 liters.
• (inch) - inch.
• (second) - second.
• (gram) - gram.
• (centimeter) - centimeter.
• (quart) - a quart.

Abbreviations with apostrophe

Perhaps most often in English you can find the so-called abbreviations with an apostrophe.

An apostrophe is a small comma at the end of a word. It performs two important functions: it indicates ownership and is used for abbreviation.

Apostrophe abbreviations can be roughly divided into two types:

1. Contraction
2. Pass (omission)

Reduction - omission when pronouncing one or more sounds in a combination of two words. The English language is full of auxiliary verbs. Such official words are almost never pronounced or written in full. Abbreviations are indicated by an apostrophe.

• Isn't = isn't
• Aren't = are not
• Wasn't = wasn't
• Weren't = were not
• Don't = do not
• Doesn't = does not
• Didn't = did not
• Haven't = have not
• Hasn't = hasn't
• Hadn't = had not
• Can't = cannot
• Couldn't = could not
• Won't = will not
• Wouldn't = would not
• Mustn't = must not
• Needn't = need not

As for omissions, it is not uncommon in colloquial English to omit individual letters in one word or in combinations of words. In speech, these letters are omitted, and in writing, such omissions are replaced by an apostrophe.

• because-'cause
• of the clock - o'clock

The number of abbreviations in the English language is so great that it seems that in everyday speech not a single phrase is pronounced completely. You might think that this is the language of people who are always in a hurry. It is this abundance of abbreviations and "cuts" that often prevents a beginner from making out fluent English.

Abbreviations and abbreviations in Internet correspondence

So we come to the most extensive and diverse section of abbreviations and abbreviations.

These abbreviations are the basis of the correspondence of an English-speaking person. The essence of online communication lies in the speed of messaging. Abbreviations and emoji are the main language tools of millennials.

Abbreviations with numbers

• 2MOR - Tomorrow - Tomorrow
• 2NTE - Tonight - Tonight
• 4COL - For crying out loud - For God's sake. Finally (when the person is irritated)
• 10X - Thanks - Thank you
• 10Q - Thank you - Thank you (to you)
• 1DR - I wonder - I think
• 2EZ - Too easy - Too easy
• 2G2BT - Too good to be true - Too good to be true
• 4EAE - Forever and ever - Forever / forever
• 4SALE - For sale
• Got to go - I have to go
• F2F - Face to face - Face to face / in person
• AAP - Always a pleasure - Always in joy / always with joy / with pleasure. The same as you are welcome - you are always welcome
• AAR - At any rate - Nevertheless = nevertheless
• ABBR - Abbreviation - Abbreviation
• ADAD - Another day another dollar - New day - new opportunities. It is said that this phrase was said by some American sailor in the 19th century. If he knew that after all this time people would insert the abbreviated form of this expression into their chat rooms, what would he think?
• AIGHT - Alright - Good
• AMBW - All my best wishes - With the best wishes

Abbreviations and abbreviations with AS

• AAMOF - As a matter of fact - In fact
• AAMOI - As a matter of interest - For interest
• AFAIAA - As far as I am aware - As far as I know. Used when someone says something but admits it might not be true.
• AFAIC - As far as I'm concerned - As far as I know
• AISB - As I said before - As I said before
• AISI - As I see it - In my opinion / How I see it
• AMAP - As much as possible - As much as possible
• ASAP - As soon as possible - As soon as possible. As soon as possible. Usually attributed at the end of a request letter. Often found in business correspondence
• AYW - As you want - As you wish / as you wish
• AEAP - As early as possible - As early as possible

The most common Internet abbreviations and abbreviations

• DUR - Do you remember - Do you remember?
• AYOR - At your own risk - At your own risk
• DIY - Do it yourself - Do it yourself
• HIFW - How I feel when - What do I feel when...
• IMO - In my opinion - In my opinion
• IMHO - In my humble opinion - In my humble opinion. IMHO tightly entered the Russian-speaking everyday life. We say this whenever we want to emphasize that we do not want to impose our point of view on anyone.
• JIC - Just in case - So, just in case
• LOL - Laughing out loud - I laugh out loud. The legendary LOL has long been part of the Russian-speaking Internet culture, and does not need a special introduction.
• PAW - Parents are watching - The parent is nearby / the parent is watching. This is how teenagers warn each other when their parents are on the horizon.
• RN - Right now - Right now, this minute
• RT - Real Time - In real time, right now. This is how they write when they want to emphasize that something is happening “online”.
• SMH - Shaking my head - I shake my head. In correspondence, this is how they shake their heads when they want to react to something unpleasant. Shaking your head is similar in meaning to Facepalm, aka “rukalitso”.
• TIA - Thanks in advance - Thanks in advance
• TLDR - Too long, didn't read - Too long, did not read. What kind of nonsense is it to send whole sheets of text on the Internet - people didn’t come here to read. Therefore, if you write a message that is too long or share a link to an immense article, you risk getting TL;DR in response.
• TTYL - Talk to you later - Let's talk later
• WDYT - What do you think - What do you think?
  WDYM - What do you mean - What do you mean?
• WFH - Work from Home - Abbreviation for 2020. I work from home.
• GMTA - Great minds thinks alike - Geniuses think alike. When you simultaneously express similar thoughts in correspondence, you can hint at how smart you and your interlocutor are (joking form).
• IDC - I don't care - I don't care
• IDK - I don't know - I don't know
• LMK - Let me know - Let me know
• SRSLY - Seriously - Seriously
• TBH - To be honest - To be honest / To be honest
• OMG - Oh my god, oh my gosh, oh my goodness - Oh my god. A winged abbreviation that has long left the boundaries of the English language.

A few abbreviations that can be found not only in correspondence

Knowing the basics of correspondence is not enough. You also need to master the basics of Internet slang.

• MSG - Message - Message
• DM - Direct Message - Personal message. Although it sounds like this in Russian - write to direct.
• RP - Repost - Repost - he reposts everywhere, whatever one may say. Shared the post - reposted.
• FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - Answers to frequently asked questions
• NSFW - Not Safe For Work - A warning message that the link you intend to open may be hiding unsafe content.
• FB - Facebook

IG - Instagram

Abbreviation constructor

To collect your abbreviation, the conventions will come in handy:

• 2 = to/too
• 4 = for
• B = be
• C = see
• I = eye
• O=owe
• R = are
• U = you
• Y = why

Play with this Lego and build your own phrases. For example:

• IOU (I owe you) - I owe you.
• 2U (to you) - to you.