ENGLISH LANGUAGE TIPS

Txtspk (Text Speak) - What does it mean?!

When you come to study English at St Giles, you will make lots of friends from all over the world.

A great way to stay in touch, both when you are at school and when you return home, is through social media, such as Facebook and Twitter, and through instant messaging like Skype and SMS.

This is also a great way to practice your communication skills in English, but sometimes the way people type in messages can seem like a different language in itself! Here is a guide to some common phrases and words in English ‘text speak’. 

Single letters can replace words so that:

• be becomes b
• see or sea becomes c
• okay becomes k or kk
• are becomes r
• you becomes u
• why becomes y
• oh becomes o

Single digits can replace words so:

• won or one becomes 1
• to or too becomes 2
• for becomes 4
• ate becomes 8

A single letter or digit can replace a syllable or phoneme in a word so that:

• tomorrow becomes 2mro or 2moro or 2mrw and today becomes 2day
• before becomes b4 and forget becomes 4get
• great becomes gr8, late becomes l8, mate becomes m8, wait becomes w8 and skater becomes sk8r
• banned or band becomes b&
• thank you becomes 10q, thnq, ty

Combinations of the above can shorten a single or multiple words so that:

• your and you're become ur
• wonderful becomes 1drfl
• someone becomes sum1
• noone becomes no1
• anyone become any1 or ne1
• see you becomes cu or cya
• for you becomes 4u
• easy becomes ez
• enjoy becomes njoy
• adieu becomes +u

Below are some other commonly used txtspk words:

• LUV = love
• THNX or THX = Thanks
• CU L8R = see you later
• CUZ = because
• HAND = have a nice day
• SWAK = sealed with a kiss
• KISS = keep it simple, stupid
• ATM = at the moment
• RSVP = please reply
• ASAP = as soon as possible
• Sec = second
• YOYO = you're on your own
• XOXO = hugs and kisses
• LOL = laughing out loud

Click here to view more English language tips, like our "Learn to Love Your Mistakes" Tips page.