BTW is one of the workhorse abbreviations of online chat. It does the same job as “also”, “side note”, or “one more thing” — introducing a small, related point without making it the headline.
Common at the start of a message (“btw the menu changed”), end of a message (“thanks btw”), or as a standalone bridge.
Casual register only. It’s out of place in formal writing.
Examples
How BTW reads in the wild.
- “btw, the wifi password is on the back of the menu”
- “we’re moving the meeting to 3 btw”
Where you’ll see it
Common questions
What does BTW mean?
BTW stands for "By The Way". Short for “by the way” — the casual way to add a side note or afterthought.
How is BTW used?
BTW is one of the workhorse abbreviations of online chat. It does the same job as “also”, “side note”, or “one more thing” — introducing a small, related point without making it the headline. Common at the start of a message (“btw the menu changed”), end of a message (“thanks btw”), or as a standalone bridge. Casual register only. It’s out of place in formal writing.
Where will I see BTW?
BTW is commonly used on iMessage, Slack, Instagram DMs, WhatsApp.