TikTok is changing the way we speak and use English.
It is contributing to the invention of new vocabulary. New ways of communicating and censoring words are seen across the platform. And a new accent or way of speaking is developing!
Today, I want to take a deep look into TikTok and its influence on the English language!
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Vocabulary
- Slang (Noun): Informal language used by a particular group, often characterized by unconventional words or phrases.
- The teenagers at the skate park used slang that I couldn’t understand.
- Popularisation (Noun): The process of making something widely known or accepted.
- The popularisation of social media platforms has transformed the way people communicate.
- Viral (Adjective): Quickly and widely spread, especially through social media or the internet.
- The video of the cute kitten went viral within hours of being posted online.
- Trend (Noun): A general direction in which something is developing or changing.
- Fashion trends often change rapidly.
- Nuances (Noun): Subtle differences or shades of meaning.
- Understanding the nuances of a language can be challenging for language learners.
- Sensitive (Adjective): Requiring careful handling or treatment; easily affected.
- John is quite sensitive to criticism, so it’s important to provide feedback in a constructive and supportive manner.
- Moderation (Noun): The act of keeping within reasonable limits or avoiding extremes.
- The key to a healthy lifestyle is moderation in all things.
What is TikTok?
Over the past 5 years, TikTok has become one of the biggest, most popular, and most influential social media platforms in the world.
Its success has captivated millions of people who spend hours scrolling through short videos. It has allowed a whole new generation of content creators to make money online. And it has pushed rivals to copy TikTok’s format: Instagram Reels and YouTube shorts, for example.
When I first heard of TikTok, it seemed like a platform for young teenagers doing silly dances. While this is still a feature of the app, there is so much more on there now.
There are journalists reporting major breaking news stories on TikTok, comedians and artists becoming famous and successful based on viral TikTok clips, and even English teachers providing free language resources to millions of people.
TikTok is Getting Banned??
However, TikTok is controversial. Right now, the United States Congress is in the process of potentially banning TikTok in the country. Other countries have considered similar policies, including India where TikTok was banned years ago.
TikTok is now a fundamental part of millions of people’s lives in the USA – there are around 170 million users of the app in the country, it has influenced modern culture, and is challenging some of the biggest companies in the world.
Why is it going to be banned?
In simple terms, due to concerns about its connection to the Chinese government.
TikTok is owned by Bytedance, a Chinese company, and there are fears that data from the app could be taken by the Chinese government or the app could be manipulated in favour of China.
Now, there is not really any evidence that this is happening right now. Instead, the concerns are mainly about the future.
If you want to know more about this topic, I actually recorded an entire episode (episode 215) titled Should TikTok be Banned?
TikTok and the English Language!
Today, however, I want to look at one of the subtler, less obvious influences that has come from TikTok.
TikTok is changing the English language!
How?
It turns out, TikTok is having an influence across different parts of the English language. It is popularising new vocabulary. A new form of language, known as algospeak, has developed. And the way people speak on TikTok is becoming an unique accent.
Today, I’d like to take a look at this topic in more detail. We’ll start by discussing the way TikTok is changing the English language, and we’ll end with a discussion of how, or if, you can use TikTok to learn English.
Importantly, I should say this episode isn’t criticism. I’m not one of those people who care deeply about preserving language or resist any change to English – in fact, I’m probably the opposite. I love new developments in language!
So, let’s take a look at how TikTok is changing the English language and the way we use it!
Vocabulary and New Vocabulary!
Slang
I think one of the biggest influences from TikTok is the invention, and popularization, of new words and phrases.
This new vocabulary has crossed into other parts of society – into mainstream media and the general language of millions of young people.
I think we can divide new vocabulary into two broad categories: slang that organically spreads and purposefully invented terms.
Slang is defined as “a type of language consisting of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or group of people”.
Slang has always existed, evolved, and changed. There is unique slang in regional locations, within groups of people, and within certain communities.
Social media, however, has made it much easier for slang to spread across societies and the world.
I’ve spoken with people from places like Norway who use London slang because they grew up watching British YouTubers.
Something really interesting in the UK right now is that TikTok and YouTube have popularised the use of Arabic words as a form of slang. You’ll find young people, especially teenage boys, saying words like wallahi (which is like swearing an oath in Islamic courts but used in London slang when you want to say something is true) or Haram (which means “impermissible” or “forbidden”).
These terms were brought to the UK by Muslim immigrants from places like Pakistan and Somalia, and then popular content creators from these ethnic backgrounds spread the slang around the country.
There are many many more examples of slang that has been popularised on TikTok.
New Words (or Trendbait)
More interesting to me, however, are words that have been purposefully invented.
This is not a new thing. New words and trends have typically been created by film writers, authors, magazine editors, or other such figures.
I’ve recorded an episode before about how Shakespeare invented a lot of words and phrases. More recent examples include phrases like “bucket list” (meaning things you want to do before you die) which comes from the title of a movie, or Catfish (as a verb means to trick or con someone with a fake online profile) which comes a 2010 documentary called Catfish and then was popularised by the MTV TV show called Catfish.
TikTok, and more specifically TikTokers (the people who make TikTok content), seem to be trying to invent words and create a new viral term at a record pace.
Every day, there are hundreds of people making videos which include unique and often new words.
Why?
In essence, it means that people are purposefully trying to invent new terms and phrases to go viral and create a new trend. They want the importance, the knowledge, and sometimes the money, that comes with popularising a new phrase.
I found an article about this topic written by Rebecca Jennings (linked in the transcript) who listed words/phrases like ”microcheating”, “girl hobby”, “loud budgeting,” “polywork”, and “almond mom”, as examples of this phenomenon.
I don’t use TikTok at all, and I have no idea what any of these words really mean. But if you spend time on English language TikTok, you might know about these topics.
Often these terms appear and disappear relatively quickly. A few years ago, the word of the year from Oxford Dictionary was Goblin Mode – a TikTok term. I don’t think this is used anymore on the application.
So many of the current words being invented on TikTok might not stick around. However, there is a chance that a few may leave a lasting impression on the English language!
Self-Censorship and Algospeak
The final way TikTok is changing vocabulary is through self-censorship and algospeak!
Self-censorship refers to the practice of consciously limiting or altering your language to avoid potential repercussions, such as censorship or backlash. On social media platforms with strict content moderation policies, like TikTok, users often resort to self-censorship to ensure their posts meet the community guidelines and avoid being removed.
There are obvious words which people try to not use in some case – English curse words, for example. I avoid using bad language in my podcast. If I was to use bad language, I would need to click the “explicit” button when I upload the show – which might limit the people who can listen to Thinking in English!
TV shows and movies do the same thing!
On TikTok, this has been taken to the next level. TikTok has very tight content policies. There are certain topics that limit the number of people who see your video.
TikTok’s moderation system aims to catch violent, hateful, sexually explicit content, or misinformation. However, it often struggles with nuances – it can’t tell the difference between a word being used in a hateful or unethical way, or a word being explained by a journalist, for example.
This has developed into a new way of using language – “algospeak.”
Algospeak is a term derived from “algorithmic” and “speech.” It refers to the use of code words, euphemisms, or altered language to hide from these content moderation algorithms. TikTok users employ algospeak to discuss sensitive or taboo topics without triggering automated filters.
In other words, they use codewords to avoid any automatic filters on TikTok, which means their videos will be unaffected by moderation policies. They can keep talking about certain topics and keep their visibility online.
The result, however, is a weird new vocabulary and way of spelling certain words!
During the pandemic, it became common for people to use words like “panoramic” instead of pandemic as it could affect your video. I was always careful titling my episode, because sometimes I would have a notification about COVID appear on my page.
Using these substitute words sounds slightly strange. And now normal people are beginning to adopt this way of using English online and in real life.
Other times, rather than completely replacing a word they will modify the pronunciation and spelling of an exisiting word. An example is people saying “seggs” instead of “sex.”
Certain communities online tend to use algospeak more than others. Typically, it tends to be people who make content on slightly more sensitive topics.
Accent and Pronunciation: Uptalk and Vocal Fry
I’ve shown you how TikTok is contributing to the spread of slang, the invention of new words and phrases, and the development of “algospeak” and self-censorship. But its influence is not just being felt on vocabulary,
It is also influencing changes in pronunciation and accent.
Essentially, the way that people speak on TikTok is different to how people been speaking in real life. This is especially noticeable in young women.
There are two main changes in pronunciation and accent: vocal fry and uptalk.
Vocal fry, sometimes known as glottalization or creaky voice, is a speech phenomenon characterized by a low-pitched, creaky sound. It occurs when the vocal folds (things that help make sounds) are tensed and elongated, resulting in irregular vibrations that produce a popping or rattling sound.
Usually, you’ll notice vocal fry at the end of phrases or sentences and is often associated with a lack of clarity or energy. It has gained attention in recent years due to its prevalence among speakers, particularly young women, in informal speech contexts and popular media.
Uptalk, sometimes known as high rising terminal or upspeak, is a speech pattern characterised by the upward inflection or intonation of pitch at the end of sentences and phrases. Usually, we use upwards inflection to ask questions – you like cats? – compared to a flat inflection for statements – you like cats.
On TikTok, however, you’ll notice more and more people using uptalk in general statement sentences. This upward pitch can create a sense of uncertainty or hesitation.
While uptalk has been stereotypically associated with a lack of confidence or assertiveness, linguistic research suggests that it serves various functions, such as signalling politeness, seeking confirmation, or maintaining engagement in conversation.
This final point, “maintain engagement in conversation”, is the key to why people are changing their accents on TikTok.
Vocal fry and uptalk are used to maintain a connection and engagement with viewers. They can be more persuasive, more personal, and feel more conversational when using these styles of talking.
If TikTok continues to dominate the media landscape, especially among young women, you may notice more and more people adopting the TikTok voice or TikTok accent!
TikTok and Language Learning
TikTok is at the forefront of modern language development.
There will be people out there who criticise this. People who believe there is such a thing as proper English (some of you have messaged me, complaining that I don’t speak in traditional received pronunciation – ironic as almost no one uses traditional received pronunciation anymore).
But I believe languages changes. While I might not be fully influenced by TikTok’s new way of using English, I will certainly feel some of the affects.
If you want to keep up to date with the latest developments in English, TikTok is one of the best places.
In fact, TikTok is now a popular choice for language learners to find free learning resources and lessons. As TikTok has become more popular, language educators and teachers realised there was an opportunity to teach languages on social media.
Through short, interactive videos and microlearning techniques, educators are creating content to help learners improve their language skills in a fun and engaging way. Microlearning involves breaking down lessons into short, digestible chunks that are easy for users to engage with during their daily scroll through social media feeds.
Now, I do have doubts about the quality of a lot of TikTok content and TikTok teachers. I’ve seen some terrible content on TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube shorts, but there are interesting things out there.
While social media alone may not turn you into a fluent speaker overnight, consistent exposure to language learning content can complement traditional learning methods and contribute to overall language proficiency.
So, if you want to stay up to date with the latest trends in language learning, and expose yourself to English language media, TikTok might be a good option (if it has not been banned in your country yet)!
Final Thought
TikTok influences the English language in various ways, from popularizing new vocabulary and slang to shaping pronunciation and accent.
Through trends like TikToklish and algospeak, the platform reflects a dynamic development in communication. It is home to new words, new trends, self-censorship, and new accents.
Moreover, it has emerged as a valuable resource for language learners, offering innovative ways to engage with language content.
Despite controversies surrounding its future, TikTok’s impact on language is undeniable!
What do you think?
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