Where it sits
IMO hedges a little. IMHO can hedge a lot or, with a wink, not at all.
Tell it apart
| Aspect | IMO | IMHO |
|---|---|---|
| Stands for | In my opinion | In my humble / honest opinion |
| Tone | Neutral | Modest, or mock-modest |
| Typical home | Texts, comments, work chat | Forums, reviews |
They mean the same thing. IMHO adds a modesty marker (humble), or a sincerity marker (honest), and online that modesty is often ironic.
What it doesn't mean
Wiktionary records an "honest opinion" reading by 1994. Both are in use, and the writer rarely says which they meant.
What it really means
IMO is the internet's oldest way of saying "don't quote me". It stands for "in my opinion", and it labels what follows as a view rather than a fact. That's a small courtesy, and it makes disagreement easier.
It is also genuinely old. Dictionary.com dates IMO's first record to 1980–85, from its use in digital communications: the bulletin boards and newsgroups of the early networked world. Its longer sibling, IMHO, was in use by 1986 in the sense "in my humble opinion", according to Wiktionary, which also records a second reading, "in my honest opinion", by 1994.
The "humble" is where it gets interesting. In practice IMHO is often attached to opinions that are anything but humble, and many readers hear it with a raised eyebrow. In a forum argument, "IMHO" can introduce a view the writer considers beyond dispute.
Today IMO is everywhere: texts, comment sections, work chats. IMHO survives mostly in reviews and forums, where its slightly formal, slightly ironic air still fits.
Where it comes from
in my
humble, or honest
opinion
IMHO's "humble" is often anything but: online it has long been used with a raised eyebrow, introducing a very confident opinion.
- 1980–85
Dictionary.com dates IMO's first record to these years, from its use in digital communications.
- 1986
Wiktionary dates the "in my humble opinion" reading of IMHO to 1986.
- By 1994
The variant reading "in my honest opinion" appears (Wiktionary).
In real life
- Text: "the blue one suits you better imo"
- Text: "imo we should leave before the traffic gets bad"
- Text: "IMHO the original is still the best version"
Questions
Q01What does IMO mean in a text?
"In my opinion." It marks what you're saying as your personal view: "the blue one suits you better imo".
Q02What does IMHO mean?
"In my humble opinion", or sometimes "in my honest opinion". It's IMO with extra modesty, though online the modesty is often tongue-in-cheek.
Q03How old are IMO and IMHO?
They're among the oldest internet abbreviations. Dictionary.com dates IMO's first record to 1980–85; Wiktionary dates IMHO's "humble" reading to 1986.
Q04Does IMO mean anything else?
Yes. It is also the initials of the International Maritime Organization and the International Mathematical Olympiad. In a chat, it almost always means "in my opinion".