IWIK

What Does IWIK Mean in a Text?

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The Quick Answer

IWIK means "I Wish I Knew."

More Observations...

I wish I knew is a response to a question. It can carry one of the following connotations:

I'm not going to do your research for you.
I wasn't included in the original conversation, so don't ask me.
I'm not that well informed.
How am I supposed to know?
Who actually knows?

Image for IWIK

When I write IWIK, I mean this:

The term "I wish I knew" (IWIK) is often used to shut down a request for information. When used in this way, it really means "I'm not doing your research for you."

Summary of Key Points

We have summarized the key points in the table below:

IWIK
Definition:	I Wish I Knew
Type:	Abbreviation
Guessability:	4: Difficult to guess
Typical Users:	Adults and Teenagers

Examples of IWIK in Sentences

Here are examples of IWIK in conversations:

Tony: What is the answer to question 6?
Jordan: IWIK.

Tony: What did Sarah say to John?
Jordan: IWIK.

Tony: When will these problems end?
Jordan: IWIK.

An Academic Look at IWIK

IWIK is used as a standalone declarative sentence (i.e., a statement). In other words, it is not used as a part of speech in a wider sentence. Of note, IWIK is an initialism abbreviation. Technically, this means it is pronounced using its individual letters (i.e., I Dublyu I Kay), but as this is harder to say than "I wish I knew," it is not often uttered using its letters. In other words, the abbreviation IWIK is for efficiency in writing and not efficiency in speech.