It’s Just an Acronym, and It’s Written, but How Do You SAY It?

You read these “words” or acronyms all the time, especially online and in texts. You know, those abbreviations that make you pause and sound them out, or try to attach meaning to them when you’ve never read the letter-combo before? LMAO, or LOL–you get it, but how do you SAY them (if at all)?

Check these examples, and see which side you land on as far as pronunciation:

1.  LOL:  55% “ell-oh-ell” . . . 36% “lawl.”

2.  WTF:  80% actually say “what the [eff]” . . . 14% say “double-you-tee-eff.”

3.  BRB:  69% “bee-are-bee” . . . 23% “be right back” . . . 7% “birb.”

4.  IDGAF:  75% “I don’t give a [eff]” . . . 9% “eye-dee-gee-ay-eff” . . . 7% “id-gaff” . . . 6% “eye-dee-gaff.”

5.  TBH:  56% “tee-bee-h” . . . 38% “to be honest” . . . 5% “tbuh.”

6.  LMAO:  77% “ell-em-ay-oh” . . . 11% “ell-mao.”

7.  GIF:  67% say it like the word “gift” . . . 31% say it like the word Jif . . . and 1% say “graphics interchange format.”