In today’s digital age, the internet is full of a perplex array of acronyms and abbreviations that are morphing and multiplying rapidly. Navigating the landscape of internet slang can feel like you’re entering into an enigmatic language of its own.
These cryptic combinations of letter have woven themselves into the fabric of our online interactions, leaving even the most tech-savvy people (Baby Boomers too) scratching their heads in confusion from time to time.
A new study by social media experts at How Sociable analyzed the most confusing acronyms in the U.S.
Struggling with the virtual vernacular? Let’s solve these top 5 internet acronyms.
SMH
“Shaking my head” was found to be the most confusing acronym with over 800,000 searches per month. It’s used to express disbelief, disappointment and disapproval of someone or something.
TBH
“To Be Honest” is second on the list with the average of 322,515 searches per month. It’s often used to preface a statement or opinion that a person wants to express candidly.
POV
“Point of View” comes in third place with an average of 284,963. It’s used to show that the content being shared represents the viewpoint of the person who shared or created it.
NSFW
“Not Safe for Work” takes the number four spot with an average of 264,610. The saying is pretty self-explanatory and it indicates that the content being shared in the corporate workplace is explicit and inappropriate in a formal setting.
LMAO
Last but not least is “Laughing My A** Off” coming in with 203,537 searches per month on average. It’s a term used to express extreme laugher or amusement.
How Sociable analyzed the number of searches for each acronym combined with “What does acronym mean?” “Acronym meaning” and “What does acronym stand for,” to find which ones confused people the most.
Defender friends, do you agree with this study? What are some acronyms that confuse you?
Here is the full list of names that made the list.
| Acronym | Meaning | Average number of searches per month | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | SMH | ‘Shaking My Head’ | 802,858 |
| 2. | TBH | ‘To Be Honest’ | 322,515 |
| 3. | POV | ‘Point Of View’ | 284,963 |
| 4. | NSFW | ‘Not Safe For Work’ | 264,610 |
| 5. | LMAO | ‘Laughing My Ass Off’ | 203,537 |
| 6. | OP | ‘Original Post’ | 159,945 |
| 7. | TTYL | ‘Talk To You Later’ | 150,253 |
| 8. | AFK | ‘Away From Keyboard’ | 137,763 |
| 9. | TLDR | ‘Too Long, Didn’t Read’ | 125,230 |
| 10. | IIRC | ‘If I Recall Correctly’ | 116,067 |
| 11. | TFW | ‘That Feeling When’ | 112,427 |
| 12. | FTW | ‘For The Win’ | 103,858 |