This is a list of the most useful English short forms for people learning English as a second language. It includes vital English teaching jargon, informal expressions, written abbreviations, etc. There will also be a similar list of the 100 Most Useful Acronyms for EFL Learners on this site from October 2018.
24/ 7 – twenty four hours a day, seven days a week
ad/ advert – advertisement
adj – adjective
admin – administration/ administrator
adv – advanced/ adverb
Am. (Eng.) – American English
(smartphone) app – (smartphone) application
Aussie – Australian
aux (verb) – auxiliary (verb)
ballpoint – ballpoint pen
bike – bicycle/ motorcycle
bio(g) – biography
Br. Eng. – British English
C/ count – countable (noun) (often used in dictionaries)
cell(phone)/ mobile – cellular phone/ mobile phone
cm – centimetre(s)
condo – condominium
(Fut./ Pres./ Past) Cont. – (Future/ Present/ Past) Continuous
cos/ coz/ cuz – because
CU (l8er) – see you (later)
cuppa – a cup of tea
’d – had/ would
’d’ve – would have
deg(rees) C – degrees centigrade/ degrees Celsius
demo – (political/ product) demonstration
doc – document
dorm – dormitory
dunno – I don’t know
e.g. – for example/ for instance
enc. – enclosed (like “attached” but meaning inside an envelope)
esp. – especially
ESP – English for Specific Purposes
etc/ etc. – etcetera/ and so on/ and so forth
ex – ex-husband/ ex-wife/ ex-boyfriend/ ex-girlfriend
- 1 – exercise 1/ example 1
exam – examination
fig. 1/2/3/etc. – figure 1/2/3 (note the use with “1”, because “figure one” is not “a figure”, which would mean a single number)
flu – influenza
’fraid not – I’m afraid not
free con – free conversation
fridge – refrigerator
fries – French fries (= chips in British English)
gas – gasoline/ natural gas
gimme – give me
gonna – going to
gotta – got to (= has to/ have to)
gr8 – great
h/w – homework
i.e. – in other words/ that is to say/ to put that another way
inc. – incorporated/ including
inf. – infinitive/ informal
info – information
k/ km – kilometre
kilo – kilogramme/ kilogram (not kilometre)
(language) lab – (language) laboratory
lb – pound (weight, from the Latin, as seen in “libra” and “libre” in modern Romance languages)
’ll – will
’m – am
M/ med. – medium (sized)
m/ M – million (as in $15m)
ma'am – madam (the female version of “sir”)
mail – informal way of saying “email”
math(s) – mathematics
memo – memorandum (a group email, usually telling people what to do – not a note/ notes)
min – minimum (= at least)/ minute(s)
(just a) mo’ – (just a) moment
Mr – Mister
n – noun
n’t – not
’ n’ – and (as in rock’n’roll and fish’n’chips)
p – penny or pence (British money, one hundredth of a pound, like cents are for dollars)
paper – academic paper/ newspaper/ research paper
(to/ a) phone – (to/ a) telephone
(to/ a) photo – photograph
plane – aeroplane/ airplane
(if) poss – (if) possible
post-grad – post-graduate
pp – pages/ on the behalf of
Pre-Int – Pre-Intermediate (not Pre-Inter X)
prep – preparation/ preposition
(no) probs – (no) problems
’re – are
re: – regarding (meaning “concerning”, “about” and so not only used to mean “reply”)
(ir)reg. – (ir)regular
rom com – romantic comedy
’s – is/ has
sci fi – science fiction
(just a) sec’ – (just a) second
sitcom – situation comedy
St – saint/ street
temp – temporary (staff/ worker)/ temperature
thx – thanks
U – uncountable (noun)
U2 – unit 2
uni – university
v – verb
’ve – have
vet – (army) veteran/ veterinarian
wanna – want to
Xmas (Day/ Eve)/ Chrimbo – Christmas