The 20 most popular English acronyms

Surely on several occasions, you have come across acronyms from English and you have been OMG ('Oh my god'). With the advancement of technologies, it is very common to find acronyms like this on a daily basis, and it is a practice that is increasingly used by users of social networks (even users of social networks to study languages! !). It is also very common in messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Line, Telegram, WeChat ... Even the Oxford English Dictionary includes some since 2011. They are not only part of the digital world, outside of it they begin to sound among the most 'geek'.


And is those acronyms are not just fun. In addition to drawing you a smile, they will save you time and help you maintain a more fluid conversation.


From now on you will not be left with that surprised face when you see one of them, because here you have a list of the most popular ones (which we assure you will not teach you in any English course ); not one will escape you. Another excuse to put your English into practice with anyone from anywhere in the world, since its use extends to practically every corner of the planet.

You may Read also what does wtw mean in texting

AKA

What does this acronym mean: 'Also Known As'.


And in Spanish ?: Also known as or an alias.


Not only is it the favorite acronym of rappers, but it is also that of superheroes. You don't have to be a superhero or rapper to show off on Twitter.


Example: Selina Kyle aka Catwoman.


ASAP

What does this acronym mean: 'As Soon As Possible.


And in Spanish ?: As soon as possible.


One of the most used acronyms both in digital applications and outside of them. A way to hurry without being noticed. It is also used in the world of work when companies require something quickly via email.


Example: We have to book a that expensive trip to Paris ASAP.


FTF

What does this acronym mean: 'Face To Face'.


And in Spanish ?: Face to face.


You can also write F2F. Do you fancy an FTF with that boy or that girl that you have met on the net and you like so much?


Example: I propose an FTF to get to know us as soon as possible.


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LOL

What does this acronym mean: 'Laughing Out Loud'.


And in Spanish? Laugh out loud.


It is used to express joy but is sometimes used with a sarcastic air. Other variations of similar meaning are LMAO 'Laughing My Ass Off' which means "to break your ass with laughter" or LMFAO 'Laughing My Fucking Ass Off', the foulest version that includes the word fucking.


Example: My face will break with laughter LOL.


OMG

What does this acronym mean: 'Oh My God'.


And in Spanish ? : Oh my God!


We are before the star acronym in terms of surprise and once you say it you cannot stop repeating it, and instead ask the American teenagers. We can also listen to “Oh My Gosh” which is a way of saying the same thing but with more tact and respect towards the religious world.


Example: OMG! Do not miss the new 'look' of Mario Vaquerizo.


WTF

What does this acronym mean: 'What The Fuck?'


And in Spanish? : What the hell? (Content of a foul nature fully justified)


It is used to express amazement or disagreement in an ordinary way. Despite this fact, it is one of the most widely used and its origin dates back to 1985 according to the language historian Ben Zimmer, who claims to have discovered its first use on the Internet in a Usenet post titled "Ramblings."


Example: WTF, you have written to ask me for a photo after several years without saying a word.


WTB

What does this acronym mean: 'Want To Buy'.


And in Spanish ?: I want to buy.


It is often used by women when they are chatting with friends to express that an object has caught their attention and they want to buy it.


Example: Have you seen the new Versace collection for H&M? WTB


BTW

What does this acronym mean: 'By The Way.


And in Spanish ?: By the way.


Its most frequent use can be observed in emails on professional topics. If you want to tell an event and you don't know how to interrupt the conversation, this is the perfect acronym.


Example: BTW, I'm going to live in London tomorrow.


GIYF

What does this acronym mean: 'Google Is Your Friend'.


And in Spanish ?: Google is your friend.


A quick way to say "google it." Have you been asked a question about a topic and you have no idea what to answer? Google will do it for you.


Example: Question: What does “chocolatástico” mean? Answer: GIYF.


JIC

What does this acronym mean: 'Just In Case'.


And in Spanish ?: Just in case.


It is the English version of the expression "just in case." You always have to have a 'just in case' to succeed in certain situations.


Example: I take an empty suitcase JIC swept New York.


ILY

What does this acronym mean: 'I Love You.


And in Spanish ?: I love you.


If you are in love or in love, express yourself or say goodbye with an ILY. Another alternative to putting the same thing would be ILU, substituting the “Y” for the “U”, which is how “You” would be pronounced.


Example: You have made me feel very happy ILY.


FYI

What does this acronym mean: 'For Your Information.


And in Spanish ?: For your information or for your knowledge.


It is generally used professionally in e-mails to indicate that the message is informative and that no reply is expected from the sender.


Example: FYI I'm not for anyone today.


HAGD

What does this acronym mean: 'Have A Good Day.


And in Spanish? : Have a good day.


One of the best ways to wish a good day is through a messaging application and if you accompany it with an emoticon, the coffee will taste better.


Example: I'm flying to the "uni", HAGD.


IMO

What does this acronym mean: 'In My Opinion'.


And in Spanish ?: In my opinion.


It is one of the oldest acronyms that exist in digital communication. Other variations that exist are: "IMHO" (in my honest opinion / in my humble opinion) which mean "in my honest opinion" and "in my humble opinion" respectively. We also found "IMNSHO", "in my not so humble opinion" (in my not so humble opinion).


Example: IMO would not go like this or to the corner.


HBD

What does this acronym mean: 'Happy Birthday.


And in Spanish ?: Happy Birthday.


Widely used in social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, we can even find it as a hashtag. A way to congratulate the birthday in a fast way. And if not, tell it to Bill Clinton who has recently used it on Twitter to congratulate his daughter.


Example: The years do not pass for you, HBD.


BRB

What does this acronym mean: 'Be Right Back'.


And in Spanish ?: I'll be right back.


It is commonly used in instant messaging applications for mobile devices and chats. Very effective if you are making food while chatting and don't want to end the conversation. There is another similar BBL expression "Be Back Later" which means "I'll be back later."


Example: I'm in the kitchen, BRB.


IDK

What does this acronym mean: 'I Don't Know.


And in Spanish ?: I don't know.


It is used in chat and instant messaging applications. It is very appropriate for quick conversations (and when you have no f *** ing idea).


Example: Did you say Raelians? IDK.


KIT

What does this acronym mean: 'Keep In Touch'.


And in Spanish ?: We are in contact.


Denotes interest in the interlocutor. The most appropriate way to end a conversation, if you want to have another in the following days.


Example: Thank you very much for everything, KIT.


JK

What does this acronym mean: 'Just Kidding'.


And in Spanish ?: Is it a joke or just joking.


This is an acronym that you should master if you like to make pranks through your favorite messaging apps and don't want to leave them halfway.


Example: Don't let it get to you, JK.


WDYT

What does this acronym mean: 'What Do You Think?'


And in Spanish ?: What do you think?


It can be ideal for us if we are shopping and we want to know your opinion about those shoes that we like so much. It can also come in handy when we speak through a message application and the receiver takes a long time to respond.

What's the difference between already, yet, and ever?

The words already, yet, and ever are most often translated as already. This ends up leaving many English students confused about when to use each one. So, in an attempt to resolve this, in this tip, I will talk – or try to talk – about the difference between already, yet, and ever in the sense of already.

To make it easier, let's look at the use of each word separately.

ALREADY

Perhaps the simplest word to understand and learn to use. After all, just read examples with her to see that there are no secrets:

He's only 24, but he's already achieved worldwide fame. (He is only 24 years old, but he has already achieved world fame.)

She had already left by the time we got there. (She had already left when we got there.)

I think we've already met. (I think we already know each other.)

Is it 10 o'clock already? (Is it 10 o'clock already?)

Is the doctor already in his office? (Is the doctor already in the office?)

We already know. (We already know.)

I've already had lunch. (I've already had lunch.)

YET

The word yet in the sense of already is usually used at the end of sentences. Remember that yet in the sense of is only possible in interrogative sentences:

Have you finished yet? (Have you finished?)

Have you had lunch yet? (Have you had lunch?)

Has the bus arrived yet? (Has the bus arrived yet?)

Have you finished the book yet? (Have you finished the book?)

Has the bride arrived yet? (Has the bride arrived?)

As you can see, in this case yet is always present in a question in Present Perfect. If you want to learn the Present Perfect in a very uncomplicated way, click here and discover the ebook Present Perfect: Uncovering the Secrets. You may also be interested to learn about English irregular verbs

ALREADY or YET?

But what is the difference between already and yet? That is, when should we say the sentences below:

Have you had lunch yet?

Have you already had lunch?

Well then! Seeing written like this, the difference does not exist. But when we go to spoken English, then the difference is observed in the context and intonation of the voice.

When we ask the question already, the idea is to show surprise that an action happened earlier than expected. When we speak we put the emphasis on already: “ Have you ALREADY had lunch? “. In the question with yet, the idea is just to know if this fact has already happened. When using yet, we don't show surprise.

To make things easier, let's imagine two contexts.

1. It's 11:00 am and you meet your friend Fábio. You start a conversation with him and invite him to lunch with you later. Fábio then says that he already had lunch. You are surprised by this. It's not even noon yet. Soon, you with that face of “Dude! Like this? I huh!” will say the following in English:

Wow! Have you already had lunch? Gee! Why so early!? (Damn! Have you had lunch? Damn! Why so early?)

2. Now imagine it's 12:30 and you meet Fabio on the street. You enjoy the moment and want to invite him to lunch. But, you don't know if he already had lunch or not. Do you want to know? So, in that case, in English, you'll want to ask “What's up? Have you had lunch?”, which in English will be:

So, have you had lunch yet? In case you haven't, we could have lunch together. What do you say? (So, have you had lunch? If not, we can have lunch together. What do you say?)

Did you notice the difference in contexts? Hope so! After all, the difference between using already and yet will depend exclusively on the context. The already is used to demonstrate surprise that the action has already taken place; the yet appears just to look for information about the fact.

EVER

The word ever is only used in the sense of already also in questions with the Present Perfect. In this case, the idea is expressed is that of “sometime in my life”, “someday in my life”. See the examples:

Have you ever met a famous person? (Have you ever met a famous person?)

Have you ever ridden a horse? (Have you ever ridden a horse?)

Has he ever done that before? (Has he done this before?)

Have they ever flown a plane? (Have they ever flown a plane?)

Remember that ever is used to emphasize the idea of ​​a lifetime.

CONCLUSION

English Language Usage GrammarSee that the key to learning how to use these words is in context. Or rather, using the English language. It's not about learning meaningless grammatical rules. It's just a matter of observing language use in real life.

That's how I treat the grammar of English in the book Grammar for the Use of the English Language, without rules and without complications. With it, you can learn English grammar as it is actually used in everyday life or as a native speaker of the language actually learns it.

And that's all I have to say about using already, yet and ever. I hope it was very easy to understand. Anything, leave a comment below! To the next!