Short forms and acronyms are an indispensable part of texting and online messaging. However, at times these acronyms can get quite long, and before you know it, they’ll leave you searching for their meanings.

Acronyms and emoticons were a common part of the T9 texting era, but as smartphones and the more expressive emojis came along, emoticons lost their relevance. Acronyms, though, managed to stick around.

There are a lot of common acronyms out there that we use in everyday communication. Some have become so common that literally everyone knows what they mean and have even made their way into situations and contexts where you would otherwise not consider using any acronyms at all.

What does iykyk mean? Origins and how it should be used

In this article, we’re going over what iykyk means, how it originated and where you should (or shouldn’t) use the abbreviation.

Also read: What does ‘xd’ mean? Why and when is xd used?

Origins of iykyk

Iykyk was originally a hashtag meant to represent ‘If you know, you know’. The hashtag became popular in 2019 with TikTok, and consequently, the acronym, and more specifically, initialism, was adopted into texting and online messaging lingo since then. Since the phrase ‘if you know, you know’ itself is a little too long by hashtag standards, the acronym was preferred instead.

Where and how should you use iykyk?

When it comes to casual texting with your friends, partner and/or acquaintances, it’s totally acceptable to use the acronym. As long as you’re not typing in a formal setting or writing an official document, feel free to use the acronym.

In verbal communication, we’d suggest staying away from most acronyms, except the prevalent ones such as GIF or NASA. You could try saying it in a casual conversation; be ready to get some weird looks, iykyk.