imo

Imo means “in my opinion.” It marks a statement as a personal view rather than a fact. Imho, “in my humble opinion” or “in my honest opinion,” does the same job.

What does imo mean?

Imo is short for “in my opinion.” Adding it makes clear that you’re sharing your view, which turns a sweeping statement into something people can disagree with. “This is the best album of the year” sounds like a ruling; “this is the best album of the year imo” sounds like an invitation to talk.

Imo vs. imho: humble or honest?

Both readings of the h are correct. Dictionaries and early internet guides usually list “humble” first, but the oldest example the Oxford English Dictionary has found used “honest.” In a large BuzzFeed poll, a majority of people said they read it as “honest.”

Imho is often a little ironic: people tend to use it right before a firmly held opinion that isn’t especially humble. In everyday texting, plain imo is far more common.

How to use imo

• “Imo the book is better than the show.”
• “The second option looks cleaner imo.”
• “Pineapple on pizza is fine, imho.”
• “Imo you should ask for the raise.”

Where imo comes from

Imho is one of the oldest internet abbreviations. The Oxford English Dictionary’s earliest example is a 1984 Usenet post comparing cassette tapes: “The Sony and Maxell tapes are, imho (in my honest opinion), almost indistinguishable in quality.” Imo followed as the shorter, plainer version and moved from forums to texting and social media.

Related terms

• Tbh: to be honest.
• Ngl: not gonna lie.
• Idk: I don’t know.
• TL;DR: too long; didn’t read.

See more terms like this in our texting abbreviations guide.