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The most common abbreviations in English
Hello! In this article we will talk about the most common abbreviations in English. We hope this will help you better understand native speakers when they speak and better follow American and English movies and series ! Many students of English tell us that when they are in class they understand everything, but when it comes to watching movies and series, or talking to native speakers, they have a hard time understanding what is being said. This is due to many factors, such as how fast native speakers speak or their accents.
But there is also an important factor to keep in mind: native English speakers are specialists in shortening words and using abbreviations.
That's why learning the most common abbreviations in English will help you better understand what native speakers are saying.
Let us begin!
1. Info (UK + US)
Info means information.
| Can you give me more info about the new job? |
| Can you give me more information about the job? |
| Would you like more info about the apartment? |
| Would you like more information about the apartment? |
| I asked my teacher for more info about our lessons |
| I asked my teacher for more information about our classes |
2. Uni (UK + US)
Uni is the abbreviation for university, which we also use in Spanish.
| I studied at uni for 4 years |
| I studied at the uni for 4 years |
| I went to uni when I was 17 |
| I went to uni when I was 17 |
| I studied languages at uni |
| I studied languages at uni |
3. Pic (UK + US)
Pic is short for picture . In Spanish we also use an abbreviation for this word: photo.
| I took lots of pics on my holiday |
| I took many photos during my vacations |
| Can I see the pics you took? |
| Can I see the photos you've taken? |
| Would you like me to take a pic of you? |
| Would you like me to take a picture of you ? |
4. Fab (UK + US)
Fab means fabulous (fabulous, wonderful…).
| Sarah is a fabulous singer |
| Sarah is a wonderful singer |
| There's a fab new film out at the cinema |
| There's a fantastic new movie in theaters |
| We are meeting at 7:30? Fabulous ! |
| Shall we meet at 7:30 p.m.? great ! _ |
5. Enter (UK + US)
Intro is the shortened word introduction .
| The intro of the song is my favorite part |
| The intro of the song is my favorite part |
| This film has a very long intro |
| The film has a very long introduction |
| Did you like the intro of this video? |
| Did you like the introduction of this video? |
6. Veg (UK + US)
Veg stands for vegetable or vegetables .
| Because I'm vegetarian, I eat a lot of veg. |
| Since I am a vegetarian, I eat a lot of vegetables. |
| Make sure you eat lots of fruit and vegetables. |
| Make sure you eat plenty of fruits and vegetables |
| We need to buy some more vegetables. |
| We have to buy more vegetables |
If you want, you can also shorten the word vegetarian (vegetariano) and say veggie: I'm a veggie so I eat a lot of veg.
7. Sec (UK + US)
This stands for second. Give me a sec means "give me a second/wait".
| I need a sec to finish off this work |
| I need a moment to finish this task |
| Wait a second ! |
| Wait a second ! |
8. Deffo (UK + US)
Deffo is the abbreviation for definitely (undoubtedly, definitely…).
| Are you deffo going to the party tonight? |
| Are you sure you're going to the party tonight? |
| I deffo want to go out for dinner on Friday |
| I definitely want to go out to dinner on Friday |
| I feel a bit ill. I'm deffo coming down with a flu |
| I don't feel very well. I'm definitely getting sick |
9. Meds (UK + US)
Meds means medicine.
| The doctor prescribed me some meds. |
| The doctor prescribed me some medicine |
| I need to take new meds. |
| I have to take some medicine |
| Which meds do you take regularly? |
| What type of medication do you normally take? |
10. Sis (UK + US)
Sis is short for sister . When we talk about more than one sister we can say sisses.
| I have two sisses |
| I have two sisters |
| My little sis is at university |
| My little sister is in college |
| My big sis is a teacher |
| My older sister is a teacher (abbreviation) |
We can also use the word bro instead of brother and cuz instead of cousin.
11. Teen (UK + US)
It means teenager.
| When I was a teenager, I started working |
| I started working when I was a teenager |
| When Joe was a teen, he stopped playing football |
| Joe stopped playing soccer when he was a teenager. |
We can also use the abbreviation teens to refer to the period of time when one is a teenager, that is, adolescence.
| My sister is still in her teens |
| My sister is still in her teens |
12. Comfy (UK + US)
Comfy means comfortable.
| I bought a really comfy sofa |
| I bought a very comfortable sofa |
| Is that chair comfortable ? |
| Is this chair comfortable ? |
| It's important to have a comfy mattress in order to get a good sleep |
| It is important to use a comfortable mattress to sleep well |
13. Abs (UK + US)
If you watch exercise routine videos in English, you may have heard this word before. Abs refers to the abdominals.
| I did a really difficult ab workout at the gym yesterday |
| I did a very hard abdominal routine yesterday at the gym |
| My abs are so sore today! |
| I have a lot of soreness in my abs today! |
| I'm working on building my ab muscles at the moment |
| I am currently working on toning my abs |
14. Brit (UK + US)
A Brit is a British person.
| Brits love to shorten words! |
| The British love to shorten words! |
| Are you a Brit ? |
| Are you British ? |
| Many Brits enjoy going to Spain on holiday |
| Many British people like to go to Spain on holiday |
15. Ad (UK + US)
| Nowadays we see many ads |
| Currently we see many ads |
| I hate how many ads there are on social media! |
| I hate how many ads there are on social media! |
| I saw a funny ad yesterday |
| I saw a very funny ad yesterday |
Ad or ads is the short version of the word advertisement(s).
16. TV (UK + US)
I'm sure you know her! It is short for television. In British English, the word telly is also used by native speakers.
| I don't watch telly/TV very often |
| I don't watch TV very often |
| Have you seen anything good on the telly recently? |
| Have you seen anything good on TV lately? |
| What's your favorite TV series? |
| What is your favorite television series? |
17. App (UK + US)
App, an abbreviation that even Spanish speakers use, refers to application. We use it to talk about software applications.
| I have many apps downloaded on my phone |
| I have many applications downloaded on my phone |
| Have you downloaded the MosaLingua app ? |
| Have you downloaded the MosaLingua application ? |
| Which app do you use the most? |
| Which app do you use the most? |
18. Decaf (UK + US)
Decaf is the short version of the word decaffeinated, which means without caffeine. This abbreviation will be very useful if you like to drink decaf coffee or tea.
| Can I order a decaf cappuccino please? |
| Can I order a decaf cappuccino, please? |
| I only drink decaf coffee |
| I only drink decaf coffee |
| Would you like normal or decaf coffee? |
| What would you like, regular coffee or decaf ? |
19. Celeb (UK + US)
It means celebrity (celebrity, famous person).
| After her viral video, she became a celebrity |
| After her viral video, she became famous |
| Many celebs advertise beauty products |
| Many celebrities advertise beauty products |
| Have you ever met a celebrity in real life? |
| Have you ever met a celebrity in person? |
20. Prep (UK + US)
Prep is short for preparation.
| I always do a lot of prep before an exam |
| I always prepare a lot before an exam |
| I have to get home early to prepare the dinner |
| I have to go home early to prepare dinner |
| On Sunday, I always have a lot of prep to do for work on Monday |
| On Sundays I always have to prepare a lot of things for work on Monday |
21. Pro (UK + US)
This term has also become very popular among young Spanish-speaking people. It means professional.
| He is a pro tennis player |
| He is a professional tennis player |
| She is a pro singer |
| She is a professional singer |
We also use it to say that we are very good at something. For example:
| I am a pro at baking bread |
| I'm a pro at making bread |
It is clear that I am not a professional baker, but I am very good at making bread.
22. Probs (UK)
It means probably (probably). You will often hear people say no probs! which means "no problem".
| Are you going to the party on Friday? Yeah, try it ! |
| Are you going to the party on Friday? Yes, probably ! |
23. Vocab (UK + US)
Vocab is short for vocabulary.
| I enjoy learning new vocabulary |
| I enjoy learning new vocabulary |
| I hope you learn lots of new vocab in this video |
| I hope you learn a lot of new vocabulary with this video |
| It's important to learn the most useful vocab when studying a language |
| It is important to learn the most useful vocabulary when studying a language |
24. Fam (UK)
Fam means family.
| I enjoy spending time with my family |
| I enjoy spending time with my family |
| Are you spending the weekend with your family ? |
| Will you spend the weekend with your family ? |
| My family are very loud and chatty |
| My family is very loud and talkative |
25. Beaut (UK + US)
Beaut is the short version of beautiful (beautiful, pretty, pretty…).
| It's such a beautiful day today! |
| It's a beautiful day today! |
| That new jumper you're wearing is beaut |
| The new sweater you're wearing is beautiful. |
| She is very beaut |
| She is very pretty |
26. Cig (UK + US)
It refers to cigarette.
| How many cigs do you smoke everyday? |
| How many cigarettes do you smoke a day? |
| Can I have a cig ? |
| Can you give me a cigarette ? |
27. Delish (UK + US)
That meal was delicious. Guess the meaning? Yes, delish is short for delicious.
| Have you eaten anything delicious recently ? |
| Have you eaten something delicious lately? |
| Chocolate cake is delicious ! |
| The chocolate cake is delicious ! |
28. Fav or fave (can be written both ways, but the pronunciation is always the same (UK + US)
| Who's your fav singer? |
| Who is your favorite singer ? |
| What's your favorite film? |
| What is your favorite movie ? |
| My favorite thing to do is go to the cinema |
| My favorite activity is going to the movies |
If you haven't already guessed, fav is short for favorite.
29. (At the) Mo (UK)
The British often say at the mo, which means "at this moment"/"in these moments" or "currently".
| I'm very busy at the mo |
| I am very busy right now |
| I'm pretty tired at the mo |
| I'm pretty tired right now |
| What are you doing at the mo ? |
| What are you doing right now ? |
30. The last one is slo-mo (UK + US)
Slo-mo is short for slow motion . When replays of sports plays are shown on television, they are usually done in slow motion (in slo-mo).
| He was walking so slowly, it looked like it was in slo-mo |
| He walked so slowly that it seemed like he was in slow motion. |
| The fighting scene was in slo-mo for added effect |
| The fight scene was in slow motion to give it more effect. |
All this information comes from a video that Lizzie has prepared for you. Take a look to better learn all these abbreviations and their pronunciation.
