CyberDefinitions.com

IYKYK

What Does IYKYK Mean in a Text?

homesearch iIYKYK
image for IYKYK showing a shush face

IYKYK means "If You Know, You Know." This abbreviation is typically used on social media and in text messaging to indicate that a message or the content being referred to has an inside joke or a hidden meaning that only a select group of people would understand. It suggests that the information is somewhat exclusive or understood only by those who are in the know or have shared a common experience. This is usually done without providing any further explanation. For example:

  • So that's where Jo's trousers got to! #IYKYK.
  • Never mind what day it is, what year is it?! #IYKYK.
IYKYK is the password to a clandestine club of understanding. It's exclusive, yet inclusive; cryptic, yet revealing.

Image for IYKYK

When I write IYKYK, I mean this:

meaning of IYKYK

IYKYK usually refers to an inside joke or a hidden meaning that only a select group of people would understand.

Summary of Key Points

We have summarized the key points in the table below:
IYKYK
Definition:If You Know, You Know
Type:Abbreviation
Guessability:guessability level 4

4: Difficult to guess

Typical Users:typical user
Adults and Teenagers

An Academic Look at IYKYK

IYKYK is classified as an initialism abbreviation, as it is pronounced one letter at a time. Other examples of initialisms are:
  • AI - "Artificial Intelligence."
  • EW - "Electronic Warfare."
Initialisms are different to acronyms, which are abbreviations spoken as words.

Example of IYKYK Used in a Text

IYKYK
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