Have you ever come across short forms like ASAP, LOL, or BRB and wondered what they mean? Abbreviations are everywhere—in books, emails, text messages, and social media. They make communication faster and easier, but they can be confusing if you don’t know what they stand for. In this blog, you’ll learn everything about English abbreviations, from their meaning to common examples you can use daily.
What is an abbreviation?
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Instead of writing the full word, people use a few letters to save time and space. For example, Dr. is short for “Doctor,” and Feb. is short for “February.”
Abbreviations help simplify writing and make conversations more efficient, especially when you’re texting or using social media.
Types of Abbreviations in English
There are different types of abbreviations based on how they are formed. Here are the main types:
- Acronyms
These are made by taking the first letters of several words and pronouncing them as a new word.- Example: NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
- Initialisms
Similar to acronyms, but you pronounce each letter individually.- Example: FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
- Shortened Words
Words that are cut down to a shorter form.- Example: Gym (Gymnasium)
- Clipped Forms
Words that lose their beginning or ending.- Example: Exam (Examination)
- Texting Abbreviations
commonly used in informal chats and social media.- Example: LOL (Laugh Out Loud)
60 Common English Abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Full Form |
| ASAP | As Soon As Possible |
| DIY | Do It Yourself |
| FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions |
| HR | Human Resources |
| CEO | Chief Executive Officer |
| ETA | Estimated Time of Arrival |
| PTO | Paid Time Off |
| FYI | For Your Information |
| ATM | Automated Teller Machine |
| PM | Post Meridiem (Afternoon) |
| AM | Ante Meridiem (Morning) |
| BYOB | Bring Your Own Beverage |
| ID | Identification |
| PIN | Personal Identification Number |
| GPS | Global Positioning System |
| PR | Public Relations |
| IT | Information Technology |
| RIP | Rest In Peace |
| MD | Medical Doctor |
| Abbreviation | Full Form |
| CFO | Chief Financial Officer |
| CV | Curriculum Vitae |
| SOP | Standard Operating Procedure |
| BCC | Blind Carbon Copy |
| CC | Carbon Copy |
| ESL | English as a Second Language |
| TBA | To Be Announced |
| ETA | Estimated Time of Arrival |
| IPO | Initial Public Offering |
| Portable Document Format | |
| IOU | I Owe You |
| DOB | Date of Birth |
| AI | Artificial Intelligence |
| ASAP | As Soon As Possible |
| TBC | To Be Confirmed |
| NA | Not Applicable |
| VIP | Very Important Person |
| LAN | Local Area Network |
| USB | Universal Serial Bus |
| CPU | Central Processing Unit |
| URL | Uniform Resource Locator |
| ROM | Read-Only Memory |
| FAQ | Frequently Asked Questions |
| DOB | Date of Birth |
| ETA | Estimated Time of Arrival |
| VAT | Value Added Tax |
| GMT | Greenwich Mean Time |
| NGO | Non-Governmental Organization |
| FY | Fiscal Year |
| KPI | Key Performance Indicator |
| CRM | Customer Relationship Management |
| ERP | Enterprise Resource Planning |
| CAD | Computer-Aided Design |
| HTML | Hypertext Markup Language |
| SEO | Search Engine Optimization |
| ISP | Internet Service Provider |
| DNS | Domain Name System |
| API | Application Programming Interface |
| SaaS | Software as a Service |
| SQL | Structured Query Language |
50 Social Media Abbreviations
| Abbreviation | Meaning |
| LOL | Laugh Out Loud |
| BRB | Be Right Back |
| DM | Direct Message |
| IMO | In My Opinion |
| TBH | To Be Honest |
| ROFL | Rolling On the Floor, Laughing |
| TTYL | Talk To You Later |
| IDK | I Don’t Know |
| BTW | By The Way |
| FOMO | Fear Of Missing Out |
| YOLO | You Only Live Once |
| IRL | In Real Life |
| ASAP | As Soon As Possible |
| SMH | Shaking My Head |
| GG | Good Game |
| FTW | For The Win |
| NP | No Problem |
| OMW | On My Way |
| ICYMI | In Case You Missed It |
| JK | Just Kidding |
| BFF | Best Friends Forever |
| TMI | Too Much Information |
| AFK | Away From Keyboard |
| WCW | Woman Crush Wednesday |
| MCM | Man Crush Monday |
| HBD | Happy Birthday |
| IDC | I Don’t Care |
| LMAO | Laughing My A** Off |
| TY | Thank You |
| WYD | What You Doing |
| ATM | At The Moment |
| G2G | Got To Go |
| IMHO | In My Humble Opinion |
| RN | Right Now |
| BRB | Be Right Back |
| TTYT | Talk To You Tomorrow |
| CU | See You |
| OTP | One True Pairing |
| GR8 | Great |
| LYK | Let You Know |
| XOXO | Hugs and Kisses |
| IDC | I Don’t Care |
| IKR | I Know, Right? |
| NVM | Never Mind |
| PPL | People |
| TTYT | Talk To You Tomorrow |
| YMMV | Your Mileage May Vary |
| TL;DR | Too Long; Didn’t Read |
| MSG | Message |
Frequently Asked Questions about Abbreviations
1. What is a full form?
A full form is the expanded version of an abbreviation. For example, ASAP means “As Soon As Possible.”
2. What are the top 20 abbreviations?
- ASAP, DIY, FAQ, HR, CEO, ETA, FYI, ATM, PM, AM, RIP, PIN, ID, GPS, PR, IT, RSVP, BYOB, MD, SMH.
3. What are common short forms used in chat?
Some common chat abbreviations include:
- LOL, BRB, DM, TBH, IMO, BTW, ROFL, IDK, SMH, TTYL.
