Guide to Twitter lingo

Let’s start at the beginning.

There wouldn’t be a Twitter without Tweets. Tweets are the messages posted to Twitter that make up the whole Twitter experience. They can contain text, photos, videos, or links, and are made to be shared and interacted with.

Say “Tweet” as a noun...or a verb

“Check out my first Tweet” works the same way as “I just Tweeted for the first time!” Oh, and make sure it’s always capitalized.

Say it again with a Retweet.

See a Tweet in your timeline that you love and want to show everyone who’s following* you? Just tap that Retweet button!

*Following someone on Twitter means subscribing to their Tweets.

Tweets can include hashtags — a keyword or phrase (without spaces) with the “#” symbol before it.

Hashtags connect conversations and help you find content. They bring people together around a topic, inspire the world, and create community. #fact

Tap a hashtag to see other Tweets using the same one.

Get #eyes on your Tweets

Want more people to see your Tweets? Add a trending hashtag. You might even get some new followers from people searching the hashtag!

Have you seen the “@” symbol popping up on Twitter? Learn what it means here.

Your username (more commonly known as a handle) begins with an “@” symbol. It’s unique to you and appears on your profile page. 

Example: @TwitterSupport

Note: Your display name — referred to as “name” — is a personal identifier on Twitter and is separate from your username. It can be something playful, a business name, or a real name. It’s displayed next to your username and can be changed anytime.

Use @ to call out usernames in Tweets (mentions), to send messages, or to link out to a profile. 

When you use mentions, you tag accounts in a Tweet to bring others into the conversation. Add the “@” symbol followed by a username in a Tweet and whoever you tag will get a notification.

Get their attention...with a mention

We’ve got it handled. When you want to mention someone in your Tweet, just type @ and we’ll show you suggestions from your following and follower list.