English Slang and Informal Words: What Real People Say
Textbooks teach you correct English. Real people, talking to friends, do not always speak that way. This page is about the gap between the two - the words and short forms you will hear constantly in conversation, in films, and online, but that nobody writes on a job application.
Gonna, wanna, gotta
In fast, relaxed speech, native speakers often join words together and change their sound. is going to - 'm . Wanna is want to - wanna ? Gotta is got to, meaning something close to must - gotta . You will hear all three everywhere, from songs to your co-workers at lunch. They are not wrong to say. They are wrong to write. If you write 'm in an email to your boss, it reads as careless, not friendly. Say out loud. Write .
Mate, cheers, knackered - the British three
These three are strongly British, and useful if you are learning English in the UK or watching British television. means friend, used mostly by men, mostly in speech: 's . It also works as a way to speak to a stranger, friendly or annoyed - , or , ! usually means thank you in British English, used for anything from a big favour to someone holding a lift door. It is also what people say together before drinking, so listen for context. Knackered means very tired - 'm knackered . None of these three travel well to American English: an American speaker is more likely to say buddy, thanks, and exhausted.
Cool and awesome
and both mean very good, and both are used everywhere English is spoken, in speech and in casual writing. 's . . They are safe in almost any relaxed conversation with a friend, a classmate, or a shop assistant your own age. They are not safe in a formal report, where excellent or very good does the same job without sounding like a teenager wrote it.
Making plans: hang out and no worries
means to spend time with someone with no fixed plan - not a formal meeting, just being together. ? means it is fine, do not worry about it - a relaxed reply to thanks or an apology. 'm ! . Both are common in speech and in text messages between friends, and both would sound odd in a business letter.
What's up?
's ? is a casual greeting, not a real question. It usually means the same as How are you? or What is happening?, and the normal reply is short and easy - , ? or . If someone actually has a problem, they will say so directly; do not treat every 's ? as a request for a detailed answer.
Texting short forms: lol, brb, idk, btw
These four live almost entirely in typed messages, not in speech - you will rarely hear anyone say the letters out loud. Lol (laughing out loud) shows that something is funny, though people often add it just to sound friendly, even when nothing is very funny at all. Brb means be right back, used when you are stepping away from a chat for a moment. Idk means I don't know. Btw means by the way, used to add one more small thing to a message: Btw, ? All four save time between friends and are completely wrong in a formal email or a school essay.
Where the line is
Every word on this page is real, common English. Learning them helps you understand friends, social media, and everyday conversation - a textbook alone will not prepare you for a group chat. But there is a clear line. A job interview email is not the place for . A formal letter is not the place for or . Save the slang for friends, and keep the full, correct words for anyone you do not know well, anyone above you at work, and anything in writing that matters. Knowing both sides - and knowing which one you are in - is what a fluent speaker actually sounds like. For the polite side of the line, start with greetings and everyday courtesies.