IKR stands for I know, right?, a way of saying I totally agree. People reply with it to an opinion or exclamation they fully share, as if they'd been about to say the same thing. The tone is friendly, and it belongs to texting and social media.
Could you drop ikr into a text?
Write a short message — we'll show the mistakes right away and suggest how to say it more naturally.
The check is taking longer than usual. Your feedback will appear here automatically.
ikr, + agreement or extra detail; ikr!! as a whole reply; I know, right? in speech
- ikr, that exam was so hard, I didn't even finish the last question.
- Anna: this café has the best cheesecake. Me: ikr, I come here every Friday!
- ikr!! the ending was so unexpected, I watched it twice.
What changed
First versionTom: The concert starts at 8 now, not 9. Me: ikr, I saw the email this morning.
RevisionTom: The concert starts at 8 now, not 9. Me: I know, I saw the email this morning.
Tom didn't give an opinion; he shared news you already knew. The reply to that is a simple I know, while ikr adds right? and turns the reply into agreement with an opinion nobody expressed.
Out loud, people say the full I know, right?, and again only in a friendly conversation. A similar lively reply is Tell me about it: The traffic was awful. — Tell me about it, I was stuck for an hour. In an email to a colleague or teacher, write I completely agree; replies like this don't appear in an IELTS essay, and in Speaking, Exactly or That's so true sound natural.
Your turn
Sam: That new café makes amazing coffee. Me: ___, I've been there three times this week!
Show the answer
ikr — Sam praises the coffee, and you go there all the time, so you agree, which is what ikr conveys. Idk means I don't know, but you know that café better than anyone, so doubt clashes with the second half of the sentence.
A friend writes: This summer is way too hot. Reply with ikr: agree and add a specific detail from your day that proves it.
ikr, I took three cold showers today and I'm still melting.
Learn to use new words without mistakes
Write phrases with the words you are learning. LetsWords shows mistakes in usage and grammar, suggests corrections and explains them, and review helps the words stick.