What sets "You" apart from "U"?

How is language transforming in the digital age? In this internet linguistics series, Gretchen McCulloch explores the latest trends in online communication.

The use of "u" to stand for "you" is a well-known convention in casual writing, especially online. But with the rise of autocomplete and touch typing, is "u" simply a time-saver, or is there something more to it?

A post on tumblr raises the same question:

Can someone explain why ‘you’ sometimes becomes ‘u’ and ‘u’ sometimes turns into ‘you’? And why do I switch between the two within the same post or even sentence?

First, let's see if this is a common occurrence. It definitely is, and it's not just happening on tumblr. Many tweets feature both "you" and "u." I'll categorize them to make the discussion easier, but it's important to note that using "u" isn't simply about saving space—most of these tweets are already well under 140 characters.

The clearest observation is that "u" appears much more frequently in phrases like "I love u" compared to "you."

Tallahassee, I had a blast performing for you all tonight. That stage therapy was just what I needed! I love u guys  (@kmichelle) " Perks of being followed by OCHS Confessions: You can tell them anything, and they message you every week to wish you a great week. I love u  (@ConfessionOCHS) normani if this tweet hits 1k rt will you follow me? My dream is to have your follow. I love u so much, my Beyonce @NormaniKordei  (@stylesexuada) @jarpad today’s not going well for me—can I get a virtual hug? I love u endlessly @suchaknitwit  (@loxluminous) Remember, anyone can love u when the sun is shining. But it’s in the storms that you see who truly cares for you RT @terri_dwyer (@paul_steele)

"U" is also commonly used with heart emoticons and emojis, which isn’t the case with "you."

(@Mamasp00n)

(@JessieJDecker)

The tweets above and below seem like an exception ("Love you so much" and "You little fluffball have been very well-loved"), but notice that in the first tweet, "u" follows the heart emoji, while in the second, "well-loved" is a more formal expression compared to the usual "I love u" we've been seeing.

So, what’s left when we remove the love-focused tweets? Well, it’s a bit of a mixed collection.

When you're at a party with strangers and your friend vanishes (@CuteAnimalsBaby) Telling people you’re better than most of the team you want to join won’t actually help you get in!! (@CISKATZ) I have no clue how to flirt, I’ll just stare at you until you marry me (@placelikethis) I'll do shoutouts tomorrow, so if you didn’t get picked tonight, you might just get picked tomorrow (@sammyswilk) Many of my followers are current or former military. Thank you for your service. We may need you to HELP RECAPTURE AMERICA! (@BlacknRight) Find me where this is and I'll give you anything you want! (@EatSleepGrier) Thanks for being so wonderful! Hope every last one of you sleeps amazing or has a great day wherever you are <3 (@CreatureHub) If you have curly hair, you know the struggle (@funnyjoke) How are you going to get with dimes if you keep objectifying women? (@trevso_electric) IN MY WORLD ZAYN IS STILL IN ONE DIRECTION, SO SAY WHAT YOU WANT BUT STAY OUT OF MY WORLD THANK YOU (@hucklelouis) When you meet your girlfriend/boyfriend’s parents for the first time and want to make a good impression (@TumblrDaiIy)

It’s not entirely clear, but overall, the parts of the tweets that use "u" seem to have a bit more emotion than the ones that use "you." For instance, compare the "u" parts like "ppl u don't know," "help u in," "until u marry," "need u to HELP" with the "you" parts: "When you're at a party," "Saying you are better," "stare at you until," and "Thank you for your service."

But honestly, I don’t even know what to say about the use of "u" versus "you" in this one:

If she’s comfortable around you, she’ll tackle you, sing to you, act goofy around you, dance for you, yell at you, take your food & be mean to you. (@DrakeNYC)

So, what’s happening here? Well, English pronouns haven’t always been like this. We used to use ‘thou’ and ‘thee’ for singular addresses, while ‘you’ and ‘ye’ were used for addressing multiple people. Over time, as in many European languages, things got more complex. We began using "you" for high-ranking individuals (similar to the royal "we"), and eventually, respect for higher status filtered down, causing ‘thou’ to fade from everyday speech by the 1600s.

While our current lack of ‘thou’ might seem straightforward to those learning French tu/vous or Spanish tu/usted/ustedes, it actually led to two issues. First, we lost the ability to clearly indicate when we were addressing multiple people, which is why terms like ‘y'all’ and ‘you guys’ emerged. Second, we lost the ability to subtly express intimacy or insult—something that might explain the difference between ‘u’ and ‘you’: ‘u mad?’ could be said by a troll or a close friend, but it definitely feels more personal than the neutral ‘you mad?’

Have we truly restored a distinction between formal and informal language? Not exactly. For one, it would be a stretch to claim that the tweets above consistently show a formal difference between ‘u’ and ‘you.’ Additionally, there are still many people who consistently use one or the other—trust me, I’ve seen a lot of their tweets. And I won’t even get into the complexities of ‘ya’ and ‘y’ (as in ‘y’know’) in casual writing.

But if we eventually do reclaim a full formality distinction in second-person pronouns, could we look back at this moment and see its beginnings? I think it’s definitely possible, u know?