TLDR stands for, Too Long; Didn’t Read. The internet initialism is most often used in one of two contexts, either to present an abridged summary to a lengthy piece of writing, or in reply to it, as in, “Too long, didn’t read.” Although informal and effective in emails, blog posts, and casual writing, it is generally considered inappropriate for formal or academic writings.
Where “TL;DR” Comes From
TLDR was a concept first used on internet message boards in 2002, and began as an initialism given to particularly long posts from forum commentators-an acronym that said, “This was too long to read, thus I skipped it.” The convention then evolved: it transitioned from a statement of reaction to a means to lead a quick, digestible summary that a reader could receive without have to get through every word.
TLDR vs. TLDR vs. Tldr. Which is Correct?
None have necessarily “official” spelling, but they are generally applied differently. TL;DR and tl;dr are grammatically accurate (though TLDR for all practical purposes may mean you’ve already decided that grammar doesn’t mean that much) as they closely relate the original phrase. Other ways, particularly the shortened TLDR, is very common in informal communications such as forums and chat. Use either of the first two to give it an impression of more care or correctness (TL,DR does not seem to catch on for unknown reasons).
Is TLDR a Noun, an Interjection, or an Other Part of Speech?
Strictly speaking, TLDR is an initialism-pronounced letter by letter, rather than as a word. In usage, however, it can function as a wide variety of things: an interjection or reaction (as in, “TL;DR, I can’t help you there.”), a noun (as in “can you give me the TLDR for that article?”), or simply as a heading introducing a summary (as in, “TLDR: This article can help you become better friends with people who matter to you”). They can all be used without any modification whatever; only in particular writings should their precise placement vary.
How to Use TL;DR in Your Writings
At the start vs at the end of your writings.
There is nothing right or wrong about placement; they merely serve slightly different functions: At the beginning offers a summary before the user knows where a discussion is going, allowing you to keep the rest brief. At the end serves like a final call to action.
Writing a Useful and Functional TLDR
A perfect summary may stand alone- a reader should be able to look only at the TL;DR they received and obtain full knowledge, although it was accompanied by its longer counterparts.
Not an excellent example:
TLDR: It’s complex
This has no helpful substance and simply shows that you were too lazy to write a real TL;DR.
An excellent example:
TLDR: To keep its benefits, the new policy requires 2 additional steps before approval, but response time has reduced by half.
This offers real information that can be used alone. Basically, your TLDR may be used like this to inform readers of “what happened” or “what is the point.”
Is TLDR Appropriateness for a Professional setting?
I learned my lesson quickly when my very first boss asked, what TLDR meant. I had typed in a 3 paragraph response with a TLDR;everything’s fine! At the top of it.
It was so humbling to have to answer what internet slang was with an actual boss over instant messaging.
TLDR works extremely well with many of your coworkers but would not fly with a client or elder boss. Dictionaries define it as informal, as academic articles or legal documents should be formal. So long stories were better. This does not mean, however, that you should avoid having an abridged response at the start of your professional documents, you should just simply state what the summary is; “In Summary.”
Writing a TL;DR That Actually Works
A good TL;DR is short, specific, and useful on its own — someone should be able to read just the TL;DR and understand the main point, without needing the rest of the text understanding common phrases and expressions.
Weak example:
TL;DR: It’s complicated.
This tells the reader nothing. It doesn’t summarize anything — it just says a summary exists.
Strong example:
TL;DR: The new policy cuts response times in half but adds two extra approval steps.
This version is specific. It gives real information the reader can act on, even if they read nothing else.
Rule of thumb: a TL;DR should answer “what happened” or “what’s the point,” not just acknowledge that the original text was long.
TL;DR VS Simular Terms
These have somewhat similar characteristics, but they never do so altogether.
IMO
means In My Opinion and there’s obviously no relation between both terms.
FYI
means “For Your Information.” If your reader does not know what your summary says, they should also know everything your information has conveyed as well.
As aforementioned, what they primarily share in common is a relationship to the body of text accompanying the respective term. TL;DR offers a condensed version of the writings whereas “IMO” signals that there is an idea you want to communicate and “FYI” conveys information unknown to your reader.
About the Author
Faizan Babar writes about English language grammar, common vocabulary, and everyday language use over at ZyluxMag. He covers these topics to present readers with practical English grammar that people can use in their own real-world writing (a practice honed through the experience of personal blunders).
