Given the limited space available per text message (usually 160 characters) it is necessary to use abbreviations and slang in order to get your message across. This is a list of some common abbreviations:

X!	Typical Woman
(-:	Also smiling
:)	Smiling without a nose
:' )	Happy and crying
:-( )	Smiling with mouth open
8-)	Smiling with glasses
[:-)	Smiling with walkman
:-)8	Smiling with bow tie
{:-)	Smiling with hair
d:-)	Smiling with cap
C|:-)	Smiling with top hat
(:-)	Smiling with helmet
:-)=	Smiling with a beard
&:-)	Smiling with curls
#:-)	Smiling with a fur hat
:-D	Laugher
;-)	Twinkle
;)	Twinkle, without nose
:-*	Kiss
@}--\-,---	A rose
:-(	Sad
:(	Sad, without nose
:'-(	Crying
:-c	Unhappy
:-||	Angry
:-(0)	Shouting
:-<	Cheated
>:-(	Very angry
:-O	Wow
:-|	Determined
:-*	Bitter
O :-)	An angel

:-I	No face/poker face
:-<>	Surprised
%-6	Not very clever
:-( )	Shocked
:-~)	Having a cold
:-o	zz Bored
:-\	Sceptical
: @	Shouting
:-o	Appalled
:-X	Not saying a word
|-I	Sleeping
|-O	Snoring
%-}	Intoxicated
:-v	Talking
:-w	Talking with two tongues
B-)	Sunglasses
B:-)	Sunglasses on head
8:-)	Glasses on head
{:-)	Toupee
}:-(	Toupee blowing in the wind
=|:-)=	Uncle Sam
<:-|	Monk / Nun
:^)	Broken nose
-:-)	Punk
@:-)	Using a turban
:=)	Two noses
:-#	Razes
<|-)	Chinese
:-{)	With a moustache
:-{}	Lip stick
:-?	Smoking a pipe
:-9	Salivating

Most SMS services such as those transmitted to a telephone, have a limit as to how many characters can be transmitted per message. This number can vary from service to service, however many allow for 140 or 160 characters. This limitation has caused users to develop what has become known as Txt Speak. These are a set of commonly used abbreviations and word substitutes that not only reduce the number of characters necessary for conveying a word or message, but also make SMSing or Text Messaging an even faster and more convenient process. For example, the number '4' is commonly used to replace the word 'for', and 'gr8' replaces the word 'great'. Some individuals also choose to omit spaces between words by using capital letters instead, such as ':-(  ' instead of 'Crying'. A relatively new phenomenon that many texting devices are now incorporating is Predictive text software. This gives your phone the technology to anticipate what word you are going to write even before you finish writing, drastically reducing the time it takes for you to text messages. For example, you may type the letters 'ste' and the software, which is built into the device, will have predicted the word 'stereo' for you.