SMS language

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SMS language (also known as chatspeak, txt, txtspk, texting language or txt talk) is the English language slang used in mobile phone SMS. It is an abbreviated form of English similar to a rebus. With predictive text input increasingly being used, it is becoming less common.[citation needed] This type of language has been alleged to not obey or follow standard English grammar; furthermore, the words used in the writing system can't be found in standard dictionaries. The invention of mobile phone messages may be considered as its source, although elliptical styles of writing dating back to at least the days of telegraphese. There are no standard rules for writing SMS languages.

SMS is similar to AOL speak and Telex speak, and has evolved from the shorthand use in Internet chatrooms to accommodate the small number of characters allowed (early SMS permitted only 160 characters), and as a convenient language for the small keyboards on mobile phones. Without practice, sending SMS messages can be time consuming.[citation needed]

Contents

The objective of txt is to use the fewest number of characters needed to convey a comprehensible message. Hence, punctuation and grammar are largely ignored.

[edit] TxT Devices

[edit] Single letters can replace words. Examples:

  • be becomes b
  • see becomes c
  • are becomes r
  • you becomes u
  • why becomes y
  • and becomes n
  • pee or pea becomes p

[edit] Single digits can replace words. Examples:

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

[edit] A single letter or digit can replace a syllable. Examples:

  • ate becomes 8, so:
    • activate becomes activ8
    • great becomes GR8
    • mate becomes m8
    • later becomes l8r or l8a
    • plates becomes pl8s
    • skater becomes sk8r or sk8a
  • for or Fore becomes 4, so:
    • before becomes (combining both of the above) b4
    • therefore becomes der4
    • therefore becomes th4

[edit] There are miscellaneous adaptations of characters. Examples:

However, these are fairly uncommon for the pure reason that they take even longer to type than the originals for the average typist.

  • ss becomes $
  • oo becomes %
  • orr becomes or only write one letter in a sequence
    • For example, Sorry becomes Sry, and Tomorrow becomes Tomorow (further abbreviated to 2moro and later to 2mro, "2mr" or "2m").

[edit] Combinations of the above can shorten a single or multiple words. Example:

  • your and you're both become ur / "yr"

[edit] Characters and punctuation are removed to shorten messages:

  • Vowels are removed such that the sequence of consonants remain and the word is still recognisable.
    • For example, between becomes btwn and yearbook becomes yrbk.
  • Whole words may be omitted, especially articles.
  • Punctuation may be removed; only question mark and exclamation marks are generally used. The space and capital letter is often omitted after a period.

“/” signifies abbreviation, such as “w/” for with and “s/t” for something.

Other transcriptions of slang or dialect terms can be used if shorter than the original words, as in cos (with fewer letters than because.)

[edit] Other text or txt

Sorry is Sry or soz

Text is txt

With is wit or wiv

Because is cuz bcuz or bcz or bcos

Talk to you later is ttyl

Laugh out loud is lol

"What" is "wat"

Please is plz

Forever is 4eva

I don't know is idk

Homework is hw

rolling on the floor laughing is Rofl

Roflmao is Rolling on floor, laughing my ass off

Got to go is g2g or gtg

text back is txt bck or tb

be right back is brb

i love you is ily, luv u,, or 143

hold on is hld on or h/o

whatever is w/e

comment me back is cmb (used for social networking sites)

of course is ov cors or ofc

Oh my god is omg

tomorrow is tomor 2moz

something is sth

probably is probz or prbly or prolly

account is acc

just kidding or joking is jk

just joshing or just joking is jj lmfao or laughing my fucking ass off

[edit] Abbreviations

Main article: List of SMS abbreviations

There are a number of commonly recognised txt abbreviations which can be found in the list below, or at transl8it!, which allows for translations to and from English.

hello becomes hi

i don't care becomes idc

i don't know becomes IDK

i don't think so becomes IDTS

at the moment becomes atm

by the way becomes btw

thank you very much becomes tyvm

"what the *freak/fuck" becomes WTF

" LAUGHING MY *ass* OFF " becomes" lmao

" LAUGHING MY *freaking/fucking ass off" becomes LMFAO

" ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING " becomes " rofl

[edit] The use of txt in school exams

There have been some reports in the media of children using SMS language for essays in school:

[edit] See also


[edit] References

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS_language"
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