Algospeak

Language and communication are evolving in the digital age, shaped by social media. Subcultures and young creators aren’t inventing slang for the sake of rebellion: they are adapting to the constraints of the medium. Algorithms elevate certain terms while suppressing others, directly shaping how language evolves and the way we communicate. From words like “unalive” (instead of “die” or “kill”) and “rizz” (charisma) to phrases like “brain rot” (low-quality content), a growing lexicon dubbed algospeak is building. And increasingly, these terms are migrating offline, appearing in everyday conversation. As McLuhan famously said, “the medium is the message,” and the medium is the algorithm.

Adam Aleksic 2025 copy — Adam Aleksic (@etymologynerd), author of Algospeak. Creative Commons.

The subject is now coming under serious discussion. In July 2025, linguist and author Adam Aleksic (@etymologynerd) published Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language, a deep dive into the slang born on social media and how algorithms and digital culture are shaping linguistic evolution. Aleksic explains that the rapid spread of online language is ushering in a new era of etymology that mirrors the values and constraints of our algorithm-driven society. He even examines emojis, arguing that they have shaped new sentence structures and shifted the way users communicate.

A key driver of the algospeak trend has been censorship on social media platforms, which limit users from using terms which might cause controversy or complaints from other users. Researchers Ella Steen, Kathryn Yurechko, and Daniel Klug published a list of terms in their report: You Can (Not) Say What You Want: Using Algospeak to Contest and Evade Algorithmic Content Moderation on TikTok. They explain that “creators increasingly utilize algospeak to circumvent unjust content restriction, meaning, they change or invent words to prevent TikTok’s content moderation algorithm from banning their video.”

Just as algorithms suppress these terms, they also elevate others, rewarding words and phrases that boost engagement or tie into trending topics. Words like “rizz” (meaning charisma) and “delulu” (delusional) gain traction because users engage with them, prompting algorithms to recommend them more frequently, creating a cycle of language virality.

Even if they’re only speaking that way when they’re on the internet, it still matters. It’s still a dialect itself.

Elena Stern

Linguist

For a primer, see the Sensemaker podcast from Tortoise Media, which released an episode in late 2024 called TikTok and the rise of ‘Algospeak’. In conversation with linguist and Zillennial Elena Stern, host Tomini Babs describes it as a form of code-switching. “I kind of have an internet dictionary and a real-life dictionary in my brain, but I know when to swap between them,” Babs says. Stern agrees, adding that the terminology someone uses depends on “what part of the internet they’re on.” Does this internet-chatter even matter? Yes, says Stern: “even if they’re only speaking that way when they’re on the internet, that still matters. It’s still a dialect itself.”

Now official language references are acknowledging the influence and reach of algospeak: even the Oxford English Dictionary’s word of 2024 was “brat.” New slang and new words are “not just spreading far, they’re spreading fast, too,” said Babs quoting Tony Thorne, Director of the Slang and New Language Archive at King's College London. Thorne reported that “each year, over 100 English words are produced or given new meanings on TikTok.” As TikTok is prominently filled with younger users, it makes sense that these younger generations are reshaping and molding these new popular terms. “It’s generally young people who tend to change language,” Stern says on the podcast.

In the age of AI, language is not just about expression, it’s about optimization. Across the digital sphere, people are shaping language to suit machines: job seekers tweak resumes to improve their chances with automated screenings; marketers refine copy to get surfaced by LLMs, and creators adjust their posts to evade censorship. Language today is increasingly shaped by these systems which control what gets seen and read.

The Intelligence Take

For brands, algospeak is a window into evolving culture. While terms like “rizz” and “delulu” feel fresh and culturally in tune, it’s important brands use them with caution. Some terms in common use trace back to unsavory or extreme online communities who also want to evade censorship. Adopting algospeak requires care, not to mention fluency – not just in digital dialects, but in the cultures that shape them.

Main image: Algospeak image generated using GPTOne, 31 July 2025.