100+ Helpful Texting Abbreviations for Speedy Note-taking

Frequently Used Abbreviations

Learn the list of common abbreviations:

• approx. = approximately
  
• b/c = because
  
• b/4 = before
  
• bk. = book, born
  
• C = (e.g. 21C for ‘twenty-first century’)
  
• c. = approximately, roughly, about (abbreviation for the Latin ‘circa’)
  
• cf. = compared to, in comparison with
  
• cp. = compare
  
• def. = definition
  
• diff. = different, difference
  
• ea. = each
  
• e.g. = for example
  
• fr. = from
  
• etc. = and the rest, and so on
  
• gen. = general
  
• i.e. = that is, that means, in other words
  
• impt. = important
  
• NB  = important, notice this, note well
  
• nec. = nessesary
  
• no. = number
  
• pt. = point
  
• p. = page (pp. = pages)
  
• re. = regarding, about
  
• sim. = similar
  
• s/t = something
  
• T. = theory, theoretical
  
• tho’ = though
  
• thro’ = through
  
• w/ = with
  
• w/o = without
  
• viz. = namely, that is to say
  
• v. = very
  
• vv. = extremely
  
• vs. = against

Frequently Used Numbers and Symbols

• 2 : to, two, too
  
• 4 : for
  
• 8 : anything ending in ‘ate’
  
• + : and, also, as well as, in addition to, plus
  
• – : minus, without
  
• =  : equals, is the same as, results in
  
• ≠  : does not equal, is not the same as, does not result in
  
• ≈ : is approximately equal to, is similar to
  
• < : is less than, is smaller than
  
• > : is greater than, is larger than
  
• ↑ : increase, rise, growth
  
• ↑↑ : rapid increase
  
• ↓ : decrease, fall, shrinkage
  
• ↓↓ : rapid decrease
  
• ∴ : therefore, thus
  
• ∵ : because
  
• → : leads on to, produces, causes
  
• X : no, not, incorrect
  
• Xx : definitely not, disproved
  
• ? : uncertain, possibly, unproven
  
• ✓ : yes, correct
  
• ✓✓ : definitely, certain, proven
  
• # : number
  
• ✳ : special, important, notable (when added to a word or phrase)
  
• / : per (e.g., £50/day instead of ‘fifty pounds per day’)
  
• ! : not, isn’t
  
• @ : at
  
• ∝ : proportional to

Other Commonly Used Abbreviations

• A = answer
  
• adm. = administration
  
• adj. = adjective, adjourned, adjustment
  
• abr. = abridged
  
• abbr. = abbreviation, abbreviated
  
• acad. = academic, academy
  
• aka. = also known as
  
• app. = appendix
  
• assoc. = association
  
• biol. = biology
  
• bibliog. = bibliography
  
• bot. = botanical, botany
  
• cap. = capital, capitalise
  
• chap. = chapter
  
• chem. = chemical
  
• co. = company
  
• colloq. = colloquial, colloquialism
  
• conf. = conference, confer
  
• cont. = containing, content, continental, continue, continued
  
• com. = commercial, commission, common, communication, community
  
• cr. = credit
  
• crit. = criticism
  
• diag. = diagram
  
• disc. = discovered
  
• dist. = distinguished
  
• div. = dividend, division
  
• distr. = distribution, distributed
  
• econ. = economics, economy
  
• esp. = especially
  
• est. = established, estimate
  
• ex. = examined, example
  
• excl. = excluding
  
• f. = feminine, feminism, frequency
  
• gen. = gender, general
  
• govt. = government
  
• hist. = historian, historical, history
  
• illus. = illustrated
  
• inc. = including
  
• info. = information
  
• lang. = language
  
• m. = male
  
• no. = number
  
• orig. = original, originated
  
• p. / pp. = page / pages
  
• para. = paragraph
  
• poss. = possible, possibly
  
• prin. = principal
  
• prob. = problem, probable, probably
  
• Probs = problems
  
• prob. = produced by, producer, production
  
• pt. / pts. = part, point / parts, pts
  
• Q. = question
  
• ref. = refer, reference
  
• reg. = region, registered, regular, regulation
  
• rev. = review, revision
  
• sci. = science, scientific
  
• sect. = section
  
• sp. = special, species, specific
  
• st. = study, student
  
• univ. = universal, university
  
• usu. = usually
  
• vers. = version
  
• yr. = year