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Email Terms and Abbreviations

Plain-English meanings of common email terms and abbreviations, from CC, BCC and Re: to FYI, EOD, OOO and PFA.

5 guides

Email terms

What Does CC Mean in Email? (And When to Use It)

CC means “carbon copy.” Learn what CC means in email, how it differs from To and BCC, and when you should (and shouldn’t) CC someone.

3 min read
Email terms

What Does BCC Mean in Email? (And When to Use It)

BCC means “blind carbon copy.” Learn what BCC means in email, who can see BCC recipients, when to use it, and how to BCC in Gmail and Outlook.

2 min read
Email terms

CC vs. BCC: What’s the Difference and When to Use Each

The difference between CC and BCC in email, explained simply: who can see what, what happens with Reply All, and when to use each one.

2 min read
Email terms

What Is an Email Alias? How It Works and Why You’d Use One

An email alias is an extra address that delivers to your existing inbox. Learn how aliases work, how they differ from new accounts and forwarding, and how to use them in Gmail and Outlook.

3 min read
Email terms

What Does “Re:” Mean in an Email? (And “Fwd:”, “FW:”)

“Re:” in an email subject line means the email is a reply. Learn what Re: stands for, what Fwd: and FW: mean, and whether you should add or remove them.

2 min read

Email comes with its own vocabulary. Here’s a quick reference for the terms you’ll see most often.

Email fields and labels

Term Stands for Meaning
To — The main recipients who should read and act on the email
CC Carbon copy Recipients who get a copy for information; visible to everyone
BCC Blind carbon copy Recipients who get a copy privately; hidden from others
Re: Regarding / reply Added to the subject line when you reply
Fwd: / Fw: Forward Added to the subject line when you forward an email
Reply all — Replies to the sender and everyone in To and CC
Thread — A chain of related emails and replies grouped together
Alias — An extra address that delivers to the same inbox

Common workplace abbreviations

Abbreviation Meaning Example
FYI For your information “FYI, the meeting moved to 3 PM.”
EOD End of day “I’ll send it by EOD.”
COB Close of business “Please reply by COB Friday.”
EOW End of week “Can we finish this by EOW?”
ETA Estimated time of arrival “What’s the ETA on the report?”
OOO Out of office “I’m OOO until Monday.”
PFA Please find attached “PFA the signed contract.”
NRN No reply needed “Thanks for the update. NRN.”
TL;DR Too long; didn’t read A one-line summary at the top of a long email
EOM End of message The subject line is the whole email

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