Tone tags / indicators

What are tone tags / indicators?

Tone tags or tone indicators are shorthand notations used to clarify the emotional tone or intent of a message. They are especially useful in text-based communication, where emotions and nuances can be hard to convey or interpret. By appending these tags to messages, writers help ensure that their intent is clear, reducing the likelihood of misunderstandings.

For example:

"I’m fine. /srs" indicates that the statement is serious.
"I’m fine. /j" indicates that the statement is a joke.

These indicators are widely used in online communities, especially where neurodivergent individuals or those with difficulty interpreting tone are present. Tone tags provide clarity and foster better communication.

Prefixes

none : The basic tone tag without any prefix implies the described emotion or state, e.g., /anx = anxious.

l = little; e.g., /lanx = a little anxious

v = very; e.g., /vanx = very anxious

e = extremely; e.g., /eanx = extremely anxious (more rarely used, on some occasions)

Common tone tags / indicators

/s : sarcastic
/j : joking
/hj : half-joking
/srs : serious
/nsrs : not serious
/p : platonic
/r : romantic
/c or /cp : copypasta
/gen : genuine question
/nm : not mad
/lu : a little upset
/neg : negative connotation
/pos : positive connotation
/neu : neutral
/lh : lighthearted
/nbh : nobody here (not directed at anyone present, for when you're vagueposting or venting, but it's directed at nobody here)
/rh or /rt : rhetorical question
/ts : to self
/unre : unrelated
/irre : irrevelant
/ot : off-topic
/conf : confused
/sup : supportive
/agr : agreement
/dis : disagreement

Custom tone tags / indicators

By Rayan and Iliès

Clarifications

/nagy or /nag : not against you
/anx : anxious
/lanx : a little anxious
/vanx : very anxious
/nta or /ntr : not to answer or not to respond

Emotional states

/dwt : Don’t want to talk about it
/dkr : Don’t know what to respond / how to respond
/rel or /relieved : Relieved
/nmah : Not mad at him
/emo : emotions in general
/crying : crying
/semicrying : almost crying
/almostcrying : on the verge of crying

Comforting

/wco or /wcf : needs comforting or wants comforting
/nco or /ncf : does not want comforting

Interaction guidelines

/ota : okay to ask (derived from /oti by Iliès)
/iwc : Interact with caution / care
/iwec : Interact with extreme caution / care (like dni : do not interact)

Thought patterns

/rev or /reverse : Opposite thinking
/ovth : Overthinking