what is ong in text?

19 June 2021, 11:00

Another week, another TikTok phrase...

Since its conception in 2016, TikTok has not only become a go-to destination for creative short-form video content, it's also become a sort of cultural zeitgeist.

Beyond offering a platform for users to share their life hacks, parenting techniques, funny impressions and more, the social site spews out new phrases and trends like there's no tomorrow.

From "cheugy" and "the CEO of", to the recent "Adult Swim" challenge - there's a plethora of language constantly being added to our everyday vocabulary.

The latest addition? ONG.

Here's exactly what it means and how it's being used on TikTok.

Nope, people aren't accidentally misspelling "OMG" (Oh my God). "ONG" actually stands for "On God".

Essentially, it just means you strongly agree with a statement or sentiment - sort of like "I swear to God". For example, "Sour Patch Kids are the best sweets ONG."

It's usually added at the end of a sentence.

A viral clip of 22-year-old social media star Tana Mongeau talking about YouTuber Bryce Hall recently became a meme.

In the video, Tana was discussing the upcoming Youtube vs TikTok boxing match when she was asked whose side she was on.

She replied saying she thought Bryce would win, commenting: “We team Bryce out here. Even the paparazzi's team Bryce, on God.”

You can watch the clip below:

So, what does "ONG" stand for and what does it mean? Nope, people aren't accidentally misspelling "OMG" (Oh my God). "ONG" actually stands for "On God".

“ONG” means “on God”, a variant of “I swear to God” or “on God’s name”. “Ong” or “ONG” is a similar acronym to “omg” (oh my god) or “s2g” (swear to god”.  Usually used by netizens of Western countries with a strong Christian background, this acronym occupies a similar societal category to the aforementioned related sayings. Be cautious when using this shorthand in highly religious audiences, as the usage (and abbreviation) of their deity’s name in such a casual manner may offend.

The origins of “ong” are hard to determine; all that is known about this acronym’s prior usage is that it rose alongside other related Internet slang such as “bussin”, “cap” and “periodt” within the past five years on social media websites such as Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat. Regardless of its origin, it is safe to assume that the acronym was conceived from the necessity for a convenient shorthand for “I swear to God” or “on God’s name”.

As is often the case with Internet slang, “ong” is used primarily by younger audiences, ranging from 12 to 30 years of age. These demographics tend to be more comfortable with shorthand colloquialisms, and are less likely to be offended by the casual invocation of God’s name. It is quite normal nowadays to abbreviate more complex phrases into Internet slang, and “ong” is no different.

“Ong” is best used as an expression of strong agreement or disagreement. Think of it as saying you would swear to God on the truth or untruth of something someone said. For example, if a friend says “I love pizza,” and you also love pizza and want to let them know, you could say “pizza’s so good ong”. This signifies that you would swear on a deity’s name that pizza is good, expressing a strong agreement with what your friend said.

As mentioned earlier, however, one should not use this phrase in a highly religious audience, a formal audience, or any digital audience where it’s unclear how people would react to this acronym. Due to the casual treatment of a deity’s name in colloquial speech, it may offend religious folk, implying that you do not respect their deity (and therefore, their religious beliefs) enough to leave their name alone; you essentially appear as if you’re “exploiting” their god’s name to make a point. While cultural attitudes have generally evolved to be more accepting of these kinds of acronyms, in the same way as “omg” and “s2g” have become more mainstream even in more religious communities, it is still worth noting the potential negative consequences of using it.

“Ong” can mean a few other things besides “on God”. As mentioned earlier, “ong” could occasionally be a misspelling of the abbreviation for “oh my god”. “ONG” may also mean, especially in its capitalized form, various institutions and organizations. It is important to consider context when reading this acronym in texts; while nine times out of ten when someone says “ong”, they mean “on God”, the meaning changes significantly if the above alternatives were meant to be said.

“Ong” is a somewhat common example of Internet slang that can be difficult for older generations or non-native English speakers to understand and use properly. Hopefully this article has helped you comprehend this saying a bit more, and slightly increase your knowledge of Internet slang as a whole.