Emoticons

On the internet, or when using SMS on mobile phones, it's not possible to see or hear the other person when we talk, so we can only judge what a person means by their words.

This usually isn't very accurate - much of what we mean is communicated by the tone of voice and body language we use.

So people using the internet have invented Emoticons (emotion icons) or smileys to communicate emotions such as happiness and anger, and when people are joking or being sarcastic.

The Smiley, a representation of a smiling face

You've probably already seen a 'smiley' somewhere - on a t-shirt, on a mug, on a bag, or online in an email or website. Believe it or not, this face was invented in 1963 - long before the internet - for use by a US insurance company to improve the morale of its employees.

It was not until 1982 that the 'smiley' face, and a 'frowny' face were adapted into the first known internet emoticons :-) and :-(

Various emoticons, commonly used in instant messaging
Source: Dean Williams

Today there are hundreds of variations. Some of the most popular are below.