You’re at a bar with your best friend. You lean in and say, "Dude, that movie was straight-up mid, I’m not gonna lie." You didn't think twice about your syntax. You didn't check if "mid" was in the Oxford English Dictionary. You just spoke.
Now, imagine saying that same sentence to a High Court judge during a cross-examination. It’d be a disaster.
That shift in tone—the looseness, the slang, the relaxed grammar—is the essence of informal language. It’s the linguistic equivalent of kicking off your shoes after a long day. It’s comfortable. It’s messy. And honestly, it’s how most of the world actually functions 90% of the time. While textbooks focus on the "thou shalts" of formal prose, the real magic of human connection happens in the "gonna," the "wanna," and the perfectly placed emoji.
What is informal language, really?
At its core, informal language is the spontaneous, conversational style we use when we feel safe. It’s characterized by a lack of rigid structure. If formal language is a tuxedo, informal language is your favorite pair of worn-out jeans. It relies heavily on shared context. You don’t need to explain everything because the person you’re talking to already "gets" you.
Sociolinguist William Labov famously studied "the vernacular"—the way people speak when they aren't being watched by an authority figure. He found that this "natural" speech is actually the most consistent form of language. It follows its own rules; they just aren't the rules you learned in third grade.
We use it to build rapport. Using "we're" instead of "we are" isn't just about saving time. It signals a lack of distance. It says, "We’re on the same level."
The hallmarks of the casual vibe
How do you spot it in the wild? Look for contractions. Words like can't, won't, and it's are the bread and butter of casual talk. Then there’s the "filler" words. Like, um, y’know, and totally. These aren't just mistakes; they’re social cues. They give the speaker time to think and the listener time to process.
Then we have phrasal verbs. In a formal setting, you might "extinguish" a fire. In informal language, you "put it out." You don't "investigate" a noise; you "check it out."
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Slang is the most volatile part. It changes faster than a TikTok trend. Ten years ago, something cool was "on fleek." Today, if you say that, you're basically a dinosaur. Now, it’s "bussin" or "vibey" or whatever the algorithm decided this morning. Slang is a gatekeeper. It tells the world who is in the "in-group" and who is definitely out.
Why we get informal language wrong
There's a common misconception that informal language is "lazy" or "incorrect." That’s just elitism disguised as grammar.
In reality, switching between formal and informal styles—a process linguists call code-switching—requires a high level of cognitive flexibility. You have to read the room. You have to understand the social hierarchy. You have to know exactly which slang term fits the specific micro-culture you’re in.
A study published in Journal of Pragmatics suggests that informal communication actually enhances workplace productivity. Why? Because it breaks down the "power distance." When a CEO pings a junior dev with a "Hey, got a sec?" instead of a formal memo, the dev is more likely to speak up about a bug. The informality creates a psychological safety net.
The digital revolution changed the stakes
Before the internet, informal language was mostly spoken. Writing was for letters, essays, and newspapers—all formal.
But then came AOL Instant Messenger. Then SMS. Then Slack. Suddenly, we were writing the way we spoke. This birthed "Netspeak." Acronyms like LOL, BRB, and SMH became legitimate vocabulary.
We also started using punctuation to convey tone. A period at the end of a text message now feels aggressive to younger generations. "Okay." sounds like you're mad. "Okay" sounds fine. "Okkkk" sounds enthusiastic. This is a sophisticated layer of informal language that didn't even exist thirty years ago. We are literally inventing new ways to be casual.
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Where the lines get blurry
It’s not a binary. It’s a spectrum.
On one end, you have "Intimate" language—the weird baby talk you use with your cat or the private jokes with a spouse. On the other end, you have "Frozen" language—the stuff in the Constitution or religious ceremonies that never changes.
Informal language sits comfortably in the middle, usually split into "Casual" and "Consultative" styles.
- Casual: Friends, family, social media. Lots of slang, fragments, and inside jokes.
- Consultative: Talking to a doctor or a boss you like. It's professional but not stiff. You use full sentences, but you might still say "I’m" instead of "I am."
The danger zone is when you misread the boundary. This is why "corporate cringe" exists. When a multi-billion dollar brand tries to use "rizz" in an ad campaign, they’re trying to use informal language to bridge a gap, but they usually just end up looking like the "How do you do, fellow kids?" meme.
The actual rules of being casual
Even though it feels lawless, informal language has deep psychological roots.
- The Economy of Effort. We drop sounds. "Going to" becomes "gonna." "Give me" becomes "gimme." The human brain wants to communicate the maximum amount of meaning with the minimum amount of physical effort.
- Emotional Resonance. It’s hard to be vulnerable in formal English. If you’re grieving, "I am experiencing profound sorrow" feels fake. "I'm gutted" or "I'm a mess" feels real.
- Regional Identity. This is where dialects come in. Whether you say "y'all," "you guys," "yous," or "innit" tells a story about where you grew up. Informal language is a badge of origin.
Practical takeaways for the real world
Understanding what is informal language isn't just an academic exercise. It’s a survival skill. If you’re too formal, you come off as cold, robotic, or untrustworthy. If you’re too informal, you come off as unprofessional or disrespectful.
The Mirroring Technique
If you aren't sure how to speak in a new environment, wait. Listen. If your new boss uses an emoji in their first email, you have permission to relax. If they use "Dear [Full Name]," stick to the script.
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Know the Medium
Email is drifting toward informal, but LinkedIn is still a weird middle ground. Twitter (X) is a free-for-all. Slack is basically a 24/7 digital watercooler. Adjust your "looseness" based on the platform.
Clarity Over Coolness
The biggest trap is using slang you don't actually understand. If you try to force informal language to sound "younger" or "cooler," you will fail. Authenticity is the only thing that makes informal language work. If it doesn't feel natural coming out of your mouth, don't say it.
The "Grandma Test"
Even in informal settings, there’s a limit. Vulgarity isn't the same as informality. You can be casual without being crude. Informal language is about warmth and connection, not just breaking rules for the sake of it.
Moving forward with your words
Language is evolving faster than ever because our "informal" lives are now recorded in digital stone. What used to be a passing comment in a hallway is now a Slack message that stays in the cloud forever. This means the stakes for understanding the nuance of casual speech are actually higher than they were for our parents.
Next time you catch yourself writing a "quick" text or chatting with a coworker, pay attention to the shortcuts you take. Those shortcuts are the heartbeat of the English language. They are how we signal that we’re human, that we’re present, and that we don’t need a dictionary to understand each other.
To master this in your own writing or daily life, start by auditng your most frequent communications. Look at your last five text messages. Are they purely functional, or do they use the markers of informal language—the contractions, the ellipses, the lack of capitalization—to build a specific vibe? Recognizing these patterns is the first step to choosing your tone intentionally rather than just falling into it by accident.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Identify your "Default" Mode: Record a 30-second voice note of yourself describing your day to a friend. Transcribe it. Notice how many "sentences" are actually just fragments. This is your natural informal baseline.
- The Emoji Audit: Look at your "frequently used" emojis. These are the punctuation marks of your informal language. If they don't match the tone you want to project in your casual business chats, start swapping them for ones that do.
- Vocabulary Swap: Pick one "stiff" word you use too often in casual emails (like "sincerely" or "regarding") and replace it with a more conversational alternative (like "best" or "about"). Watch how it changes the energy of the replies you get.