How to Reply to One Word Texts from Girls: 17+ Ideas (2024)

Co-authored byJulia McCurleyand Caroline Heiderscheit

Last Updated: May 9, 2023Fact Checked

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1. 1

   Give her a sweet compliment. Let's face it, everyone loves being flattered. If your convo has rolled to a halt, get her to reengage by saying something super thoughtful. Mention that you love her personality, her looks, or something that she's done. And if you can, say it in an offhand way—that way, it'll seem more sincere, and you'll be playing it cool, like her one-word reply didn't phase you.^[1]

   • "Oh, by the way, I meant to tell you that I loved the dress you were wearing yesterday."
   • "I forgot to mention this earlier, but you crushed it at your basketball game yesterday. You were an all star out there."
   • Or, put a playful, funny spin on your flirtatious compliment: "Man, this is what I love about you. With these one-word replies, you really make me work for it."
2. 2

   Let her know that you're thinking about her. Craft a super sweet response, and you'll make her swoon (and refocus on your text conversation). Mention something that reminds you of her or let her know she's on your mind. There are a couple great ways to do this—you can wait a few hours and then tell her she's on your mind, like you're opening a brand new chat and ditching her one-word response. Or, you can go for a casual vibe and pretend like you hardly noticed her short reply.^[2]

   • If you want to wait a few hours, try a message like this: "I just saw a fudge cake at the store & it made me think of you—I know you love your chocolate"
   • Or, if you want to play it cool, try a message like this: "So random, but you just popped into my head! Wolf Alice came on the radio, so naturally I thought of you..."
   • Let her know that you think of her often in a casual way: "I was thinking about how you keep losing your house keys...have you tried Tile? Might help."

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3. 3

   Ask her a thoughtful, open-ended question. Sometimes, when you look back at your old messages, you might realize that the message you sent was pretty bare bones. She might've actually thought you were the one sending a brief message, and she just followed suit. If you want to kick the convo up again, try asking her questions that require a full response. Focus on trying to really get to know her.^[3]

   • Ask her about something you know she loves: "So you're obviously an MVP tennis player, but I've never asked how you got into it. What's the story?"
   • Ask her a deep question: "I just remembered you mentioning that you want to be a novelist—that's amazing. What draws you to writing?"
   • Ask her a flirty, romantic question: "So anyway...it's clear that I like you (I mean, what's not to like?). But what do you usually look for romantically?"
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   Share a beautiful song or book and tell her you think she'd like it. Not only will you get to show off your great taste, but by telling your crush that something "reminds" you of her or that it "seems like something she'd like," you're subtly telling her that you know her well. Pick out a pretty song, book passage, or another kind of art form, then send it her way.

   • "This song's lyrics are so gorgeous, I thought you'd appreciate them."
   • "Wow, I just read this line in my book, isn't it amazing? I feel like you have an eye for this stuff, so I'd love to hear your thoughts."
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   Send along a photo of something in your day. Pictures are a great way to help her get to know you, help her feel engaged in the convo, and easily navigate away from a one-word response. Snap a quick shot of the niece you're babysitting, cookies you made for friends, a nice view out your work window, or anything that shows off your sweet, intimate life. Then, just include a few words for context.

   • "On babysitting duty this afternoon. But we all know Lily's really the boss."
   • "Best batch I've made to date. Want one?"
   • "Hard to complain with a view like this."
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   Ask her to hang out. Sometimes, your crush might just be frustrated with the slow pace. If the two of you have been texting and texting (but you haven't hung out in person), why not ask her when she's free? If she's been waiting for you to make a move, she'll be thrilled. And if she's not that interested, this is a great way to find out quickly. Just make sure that no matter her answer, you accept it gracefully!

   • "Hey, here's a thought. Why don't we see a movie this week?"
   • "If I haven't made it embarrassingly obvious yet, I like you. Any chance you'd want to grab dinner on Friday?"
   • "Yeah, texting can be boring. Want to catch up in person instead?"

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1. 1

   Tease her in a hilarious, flirtatious way. Showing off your silly side can make you way more attractive to her; plus, it helps diffuse any awkwardness in the conversation. She'll probably love to see that you roll with the punches and that you aren't pressed by her one-word response. Make her laugh, and she'll probably decide to keep texting you back!^[4]

   • "Wow, my message was so interesting and profound...I've actually left her speechless. Amazing."
   • "If I had a little more pride I might not reply to a one-word response, but lucky for you, I’ve got super low self-esteem!"
   • “The votes are in! You’ve won the Most Boring Text Response Ever award. Congrats!”
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   Pique her interest with a cliff-hanger text message. Send a short, mysterious message that’ll leave her on the edge of her seat. Then, when she responds, make something silly up. She’ll love your sense of humor, and you’ll have her totally engaged in your convo in seconds.^[5]

   • Start with: “You’ll never guess what just happened…” Then say: “I just got a paper cut. I guess God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.”
   • Or, say: “The craziest thing just happened at my house!” Then follow up with: “My sister actually apologized to me for once. This is groundbreaking news.”
   • Send her: “Omg, Sarah, guess what just happened!!” Then, follow up with a silly response: “A zombie just ran into my room, but I took care of it. I’m tough like that.”
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   Make fun of yourself to make your crush giggle. When you lightly make fun of yourself, you actually come off as more confident than when you’re speaking highly of yourself. Jokingly blame her one-word reply on your texting skills and make fun of yourself for getting “rejected.” Just make sure to keep it light so that you don’t go from seeming casual and funny, to genuinely hurt.^[6]

   • “Wow, a one-word reply?? Man, I must be off my game today.”
   • “Oof, a one-word response…that cuts deep. Obviously I’m going to need to strategize, make a game plan, and get back to you if I’m gonna get your attention.”
4. 4

   Challenge her to a silly game. When the conversation has come to a crashing halt, why not start up a random game to get her engaged while making her laugh? An out-of-the-blue invitation will totally take her by surprise, which will show off your silly side. Plus, playing a game can be a great way to deepen your connection, so when you start, make sure to throw in some playful trash talk, too.

   • Download the GamePigeon app and send over a random invitation to 8 ball, checkers, 20 questions, you name it.
   • If the game is getting close, send over a hilarious, jokingly competitive text: "Better watch out. I'm definitely about to have a comeback here."
5. 5

   Send her a meme or funny link. So, she hit you with the one-word reply. No worries! If you wait a beat, then send over something completely hilarious without more text, you'll make her laugh in a super casual way. Plus, you won't have to navigate a text response to her short reply; your funny content does that for you!

   • For example, send over that hilarious TikTok you saw this morning. Bonus points if your video is super tailored to her (maybe it's about a movie she likes, for example!).
   • Or, send over a funny news article or meme that made you laugh. Pro tip: when you come across a hilarious link, save it to your notes for times like this.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

• Gauge interest level by whether her one-word replies are the norm or a sudden change. Consistent brevity likely signals disinterest versus sporadic short texts.
• Set expectations in existing relationships by politely but directly addressing annoying texting habits. This improves communication.
• If her responses seem to depend on the time of day, she may just be busy during certain hours. Try accounting for her schedule.
• Suggest a phone or video call instead of texting. Hearing tone of voice makes it easier to gauge interest and bond more deeply.
• Send memes related to inside jokes only the two of you share. This shows you remember special moments you've had together.
• Sprinkle in occasional silly selfies or photos showing slices of your daily life. Images easily re-engage recipients.

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