25+ Essential Email Abbreviations You Need to Know Today

email abbreviations with scrabble tiles spelling ASAP

If you’ve ever found yourself puzzled by a string of letters in an email or text message, you’re not alone. Email abbreviations can save you time and help you communicate more effectively. 

However, they’re also easy to mix up if you’re not familiar with them. Learning the most common email abbreviations can make a big difference in how you manage your inbox. 

That’s why we’ve put together a list of over 25 essential email abbreviations that everyone should know. So, let’s get started.



AB — Action By 

This email abbreviation means “Action By.” You can use it when the task you’ve given to your colleague needs to be completed before a specific date or time. You can also use it as an email subject line abbreviation to tell the recipient that the task has a deadline. 

For example, you can use something along the lines of “Monday meeting report, AB Thursday.” 

AR — Action Required 

When you send an email to your colleague and want them to do something, you can use this abbreviation in the subject line or inside the email text. 

Short form of “Action Required,” this abbreviation tells the recipient that they’re given a task and need to look for it in the email copy. 

ASAP — As Soon As Possible

This one stands for “As Soon As Possible”. It’s widely used in spoken and written communication to highlight the urgency of an action. You can use it to request or promise someone to complete a task at the first possible opportunity. 

But you need to be cautious when using this abbreviation since it can make you come off as bossy, pushy, or rude. Plus, it can be vague since it doesn’t specify when exactly you want something done. 

So, only use it if you have a close relationship with the recipient. Otherwise, email etiquette suggests using a more subtle phrasing. 

BCC — Blind Carbon Copy 

BCC and CC are used in most email applications. They stand for “Blind Carbon Copy” and “Carbon Copy,” respectively, and are used when you want to specify who receives your email. 

Each of these email abbreviations has its own entry in your email draft. That means you don’t use them in subject lines or email copies. 

If you want to send an email to more than one recipient, you can enter their email addresses in the CC box. The BCC box does the same thing. The only difference is that recipients in the CC box can see all the other recipients who received the same email message, while the BCC hides these addresses. 

These are the primary purposes of BCC emails:

  • Sending mass email messages. These messages can be corporate or friendly. Suppose you want to send an invitation to a group of your friends or family members. If the invitation has a generic text, you can BCC it to all recipients without them seeing each other’s email addresses. 
  • Maintaining privacy. BCCing an email message means the recipients don’t see who else received the email. It’s a useful option when you send a campaign and have to keep all the email addresses private. 
  • No-response emails. The recipients of a BCC message can’t reply to it. So, it’s the perfect way to avoid lengthy threads and getting unwanted responses. If you want replies from a mass-sent message, you should CC it. 

EOD — End of Day 

If you receive an email with an EOD from your manager, buckle up! This means that the manager wants something before the end of the day. 

EOD generally means by the end of working hours and not a 24-hour day. Still, you may want to know what your manager or colleagues mean by EOD.

Alternatively, you may see “EOW” as the deadline. This means “End of Week” and shows your deadline is until the end of the work week. 

EOM — End of Message

Suppose you want to tell your colleagues about the time of an upcoming meeting. You can send them an email with the subject line “Meeting 11:00 A.M., EOM.” This message signals the recipients that they don’t need to open the message since the gist is in the subject line.

Alternatively, you may see NT (No Text). This also shows that there’s no email body, and the entire message is inside the subject line. It’s a great time-saver since your colleagues don’t need to open the message. 

These are the same email subject line abbreviations indicating an empty message:

  • NNTO. No Need To Open. The message is in the subject line. 
  • NM. No Message.
  • NIM. No Internal Message.
  • SSIA. Subject Says It All.
  • SIM. Subject Is Message.

FAO — For the Attention Of

You can use this abbreviation to address a specific individual in a team email. For example, the manager sends a message to the sales team’s email but only addresses the head of the team. 

Mentioning FAO and the name of the addressed individual in the subject line ensures they see the message, and the other recipients will disregard it. 

FYI — For Your Information 

This one is among the most common abbreviations used in email that has transcended to spoken exchanges. It’s used when you share a piece of information with a recipient or an email thread.

The information is usually essential and affects the performance of the recipient. For example, suppose there’s been a change in the policies regarding customer service inquiries. All the employees whose duties fall within customer service should be notified with information labeled as FYI. 

FYR — For Your Reference

This is another common email abbreviation used when sending information. Unlike FYI, FYR doesn’t involve essential information for the recipient. 

The recipient already knows about the information shared here but receives more data on the matter to use as a reference. You may also give reference to an outside source to serve as a point of reference for the reader. 

For example, you may send the company’s guidelines to a new team member after going through them in a meeting. Send an email, attach the guidelines, and label them with “FYR: the company guidelines.”

HTH — Hope That Helps 

This abbreviation is mostly used at the end of emails or text messages, when you answer a question your colleague asked you or send someone a piece of information that you hope will help the recipient.

It’s a thoughtful way to wrap up your message, showing that you care about being helpful and making a positive impact. 

IAM — In a Meeting 

This is among the commonly used email and texting abbreviations. It’s the short form of “In a Meeting,” and you can use it as a quick reply to an email or phone call that you couldn’t respond to. 

LET — Leaving Early Today 

This is another email abbreviation that shows your physical position. It’s used when you want your colleagues to know that you won’t be available as late as usual. 

Using this abbreviation in your group emails, you can ensure they won’t send you messages after getting out of the office. 

LMK — Let Me Know 

This is an acronym used at the end of messages to ask for feedback or reply indirectly. It’s short for “Let Me Know,” and can be used instead of RR (reply required). It sounds more friendly, supportive, and informal without conveying urgency or authority. 

For example, if you write “LMK if the directions are not clear,” elicits a response but doesn’t seem urgent. 

NRN — No Reply Needed 

This is among useful subject line email abbreviations that prevent a cluttered inbox. “No Reply Needed” is sent when you don’t expect a reply to your message. 

Some recipients feel obliged to send a reply even if it doesn’t call for one. Maybe they want to be polite, or they want to acknowledge that they’ve received your message. 

Using this abbreviation, you’ll make sure your inbox isn’t flooded with short replies like “Sure” or “Duly noted.”

This abbreviation has another variation that serves the same purpose. NNTR stands for No Need To Respond and serves the same purpose. 

You may also come across NRR, which means No Reply Required. 

NSFW — Not Suitable For Work 

Opening personal emails or messages at work may not be professional, but many employees see no harm in doing so. More often than not, they may receive messages that contain explicit images or videos, putting them in an embarrassing situation at the least. 

If you receive a message labeled as “NSFW,” the sender wants to warn you not to open it at work since it’s “Not Suitable For Work.” 

The best place for this abbreviation is the subject line to alert the reader even before opening the message. 

There are some other variations related to this abbreviation. Those include:

  • NWS. Not Work Suitable or Not Work Safe. It can be used instead of NSFW.
  • TSFW. “Totally Safe For Work” is the opposite of NSFW and shows the recipient that they can open the message and its attachments. 
  • PNSFW. Probably Not Suitable For Work
  • NWR. Not Work Related. It shows the recipient can open the message at a later time since it’s not related to work. 
  • RLB. Read Later. It’s used when you send a message to your colleague that’s not work-related. This abbreviation tells them to open the message later since it’s not urgent. 

NYR — Need Your Response 

This is another abbreviation for the subject line that you can also use in your email copy. This abbreviation stands for “Need Your Response.”

Using this abbreviation in your subject line, you can ensure the recipient will read the email and won’t dismiss it as a generic message that they can ignore. 

This email abbreviation has other variations that specify the time you expect the reply. 

  • NYRQ. Need Your Response Quick.
  • NYRT. Need Your Response Today.
  • NYR-NBD. Need Your Response Next Business Day.
  • RR. Reply Requested.

OOO — Out Of Office 

When you’re out of the office, you probably don’t have time to respond to business emails. This email abbreviation tells your colleagues not to expect a reply from you.

Now, the question is, how are you supposed to send this abbreviation if you’re not ready to read and respond to emails? The answer is simple: autoresponders. Depending on your email client, you can set up an autoresponder on your mobile or desktop devices to take care of your messages when you’re not in the office. 

PRB — Please Reply By

Use “Please Reply By” as an alternative to NYR. This one is more specific and gives the recipient a deadline to send the reply. 

Another variation of the same request is “RB.” It means Reply By, and, like PRB, it’s followed by a date or number. For example, RB +4 means “reply within four days.” It’s more common to see this abbreviation near the email sign-off

PYR — Per Your Request 

Here’s another acronym that can come inside the subject line or at the beginning of the email body to refer to a previous message. “Per Your Request” shows you are replying to a request that the recipient already made. This way, you give context to your message and show them you followed through with what they asked you.  

RE — Regarding 

This is another email subject line abbreviation. It’s short for “Regarding” or “Referring.” 

For example, a subject line may read: “RE: quarterly sales reports.” This way, the recipients will know the email is giving more information about something they already know of. 

It also appears at the beginning of your subject line when you reply to an email. 

TL;DR — Too Long; Didn’t Read 

This initialism stands for Too Long; Didn’t Read. You can see it at the end of a lengthy email. And although it may seem rude, it’s used for quite the opposite purpose. 

If you send a long message that may be ignored by a busy colleague or superior, summarize it into one or two sentences and label it/them as TL; DR. 

Although it’s used to show courtesy and help the recipient get the gist of a lengthy note, it’s not a great option for professional correspondence. That’s because of its negative associations in other contexts or online forums. In these settings, this abbreviation may be used as a reaction to a long message. 

If you think your recipient may construe it as rude or passive-aggressive, you can replace it with “Summary” or “Executive Summary.” 

TLTR — Too Long To Read

This is a variation of TL;DR since it’s used with long messages. The difference is that you receive it as a reply to a lengthy message you sent someone. 

The recipient of the lengthy email can be a person in a position of authority or your colleague. Regardless, it can sound rude and lazy. So, try not to use it unless the recipient is a close colleague. 

TYT — Take Your Time 

Here’s another abbreviation to tell the recipient that you want some form of reply, but there’s no rush. It stands for “Take Your Time” and indicates there’s no urgency in doing the required task. 

 It’s a friendly way to communicate that there’s no pressure or hurry to get back to you. It adds a touch of kindness and understanding. 

VSRE — Very Short Reply Expected

Unlike the previous one, you can use this email abbreviation when you need the recipient to confirm they have received your message. Or, depending on the message, you request a reply but not a long one. 

WFH — Working From Home 

If you occasionally work remotely, your colleagues should know so they can adjust their messages and workflow. This abbreviation means Working From Home, and you can use it in the email body to notify your coworkers that you won’t be in the office that day. 

Informal Email Abbreviations 

The email acronyms and abbreviations mentioned above are mainly for business correspondence. That said, it’s not uncommon to see some of them in spoken and informal exchanges, as well. 

The key to using these abbreviations is following email etiquette. Depending on your company culture and relationship with other colleagues, you may choose to go for or steer clear of these acronyms. 

However, email abbreviations are much more common in informal emails and text messages. We have an endless informal email abbreviations list thanks to texting abbreviations. 

Here’s a small selection of the most common acronyms for informal emails. 

Abbreviation Full Form
2niteTonight
4everForever 
NTMNot To Mention
OBTWOh By The Way
IDKI Don’t Know
TBHTo Be Honest
BRBBe Right Back
Most common informal email abbreviations

Step Up Your Email Game with the Inbox Formula

While getting to grips with email abbreviations can make your digital communication quicker, there’s more to excellent email practices than just shortening your words.

And this is where we come in. 

At Campaign Refinery, our high-deliverability email marketing service helps you reach the right people, with the right content, at the right time. 

And today, we want to help you kickstart your journey with the Inbox Formula — your comprehensive guide to creating email campaigns that engage and convert. 

You’ll learn practical tips, step-by-step strategies, and insights into the most effective email marketing practices. 

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from the experts and take your email marketing to the next level. Download your copy today!

And when you’re ready to take your email marketing to the next level, apply to start with Campaign Refinery, and unlock the full potential of your campaigns with our support.

Similar Posts