Texting has its own language – sometimes literally. While most of us have a handle on the basics like “LOL” and “IDK,” a new study from language learning platform Preply reveals that even the most seasoned texters are regularly stumped by today’s shorthand. And I’ll be honest: while I was familiar with some of these acronyms, there were many on the list that I didn’t recognize.
Preply surveyed more than 1,800 U.S. residents to find out which texting acronyms Americans understand the least, and which ones drive people up the wall. The most baffling term? EMBM, which stands for “early morning business meeting.” Only 3.8% of people knew what it meant. AYOR (“at your own risk”) and RLRT (“real life retweet”) weren’t far behind. If those look like gibberish to you, you’re not alone.
In addition to EMBM, AYOR and RLRT, I've listed 10 others in the study's list of most misunderstood acronyms. How many do you recognize? The answer key is at the end of the article.
- WTPA
- KPC
- FAWC
- 4AO
- NAGI
- ADIH
- BBBG
- GMTA
- HIFW
- TNTL
Interestingly, the study found that millennials, not Gen Z, had the highest overall understanding of internet acronyms, beating the younger generation by 1.5%. That said, Gen Z was the most confident in their ability to decode the lingo, even if they weren’t always right. Meanwhile, 1 in 9 Americans admitted to using acronyms they didn’t actually understand. (I suspect that number is even higher in practice.)
Read more: New Google Feature Warns of Scammers Mid-Call or Text
Some acronyms don’t just confuse people – they annoy them. LMAO (“laughing my a** off”) took the top spot as the most disliked term, followed by GRATZ (“congratulations”) and IANAL (“I am not a lawyer”). Unsurprisingly, Boomers were most likely to be put off by acronyms with swear words. But it wasn’t all negative: the least annoying acronym was TIL (“today I learned”), which you’ll find in online forums, especially Reddit threads.
Speaking of Reddit, that platform was called out as the most confusing when it comes to acronym usage, with 1 in 4 Americans finding it difficult to decipher. X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok followed close behind. It makes sense; when space is limited and speed is everything, abbreviations become second nature. But that doesn’t mean everyone is fluent.
How many of the acronyms did you get right?
- WTPA – Where the party at?
- KPC – Keeping parents clueless
- FAWC – For anyone who cares
- 4AO – For adults only
- NAGI – Not a good idea
- ADIH – Another day in hell
- BBBG – Bye-bye be good
- GMTA – Great minds think alike
- HIFW – How I feel when
- TNTL – Trying not to laugh
Digital slang evolves quickly, and nobody – no matter how tech-savvy – is immune to feeling a little out of the loop. So if you're using an acronym you’re not 100% sure about? Maybe don’t.
[Image credit: DALL-E]
