Writing Tip 99: Aloud vs. Out loud

Laughing Out Loud vs. Laughing Aloud
You know who’s laughing out loud? This guy.

“LOL” (laughing out loud) may be ubiquitous these days, but why not “LA” (laughing aloud)? Is there a difference? It’s shorter—and we love shorter these days in this world of texts and Twitter—so was it just the city of Los Angeles that held it back?

Here’s the nitty gritty on these two words. The original form of the word was “aloud,” but in the early 1800s, “out loud” appeared as a colloquialism. Why? Who knows. But in our day of “totes,” “forevs,” and “awesomesauce,” we can understand weird things happening with language.

Most consider “aloud” and “out loud” synonyms, though the diehards might reserve the original “aloud” for formal writing and “out loud” for casual conversation. “LOL” seems to follow this train of thought. It’s definitely an acronym designed for casual use.

So we can’t just blame Los Angeles for the appearance of “LOL” rather than “LA.” Who knew text-speak considered grammar rules?

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