Speech bubble emoji 💬 and thought bubble emoji 💭
The emoji set has three comic-strip bubbles. 💬 speech balloon is a rounded bubble with an ellipsis: talking, a message, a comment — the icon behind “DM me” and…
Published · Updated
What the speech bubble 💬 and thought bubble 💭 emoji means
The emoji set has three comic-strip bubbles. 💬 speech balloon is a rounded bubble with an ellipsis: talking, a message, a comment — the icon behind “DM me” and “comments open”. 💭 thought balloon is a cloud with small bubbles trailing to it: thinking, wondering, daydreaming, “just a thought 💭”. 🗯️ right anger bubble is jagged: shouting or a heated remark. Because they are comic conventions they carry no emotion of their own, which makes them useful punctuation: 💭 before a musing, 💬 before a quote. The face that does the talking is 🗣️ speaking head.
Unicode name: speech balloon · U+1F4AC · Emoji 0.6 (original set) · group: Smileys & Emotion.
How people use it
- Messages (💬): “text me”, “comments below”, chat features
- Quotes (💬): introducing something someone said
- Thoughts (💭): musings, daydreams, “thinking of you”
- Shouting (🗯️): heated remarks, arguments
Compare the options
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| speech balloonU+1F4AC | Talking, a message, a comment | |
| thought balloonU+1F4AD | Thinking, daydreaming | |
| right anger bubbleU+1F5EF U+FE0F | Shouting, heated | |
| eye in speech bubbleU+1F441 U+FE0F U+200D U+1F5E8 U+FE0F | Anti-bullying campaign symbol | |
| speaking headU+1F5E3 U+FE0F | Someone talking loudly |
Communication and discussion with the speech bubble emoji
The speech bubble emoji represents communication, talking, messaging and exchanging ideas. You can use it to show you are open to conversation without adding a specific emotion. It is a neutral symbol for any kind of written exchange, from quick replies to longer discussions.
You can use 💬 to invite comments, suggestions or quick replies. Posting it after a question or announcement signals that you welcome a response and keeps the tone friendly. In group chats, a single bubble can mean the topic is still open for everyone to join.
- Text me when you land 💬
- Comments are open 💬
- We need to discuss the plan 💬
- Feedback welcome 💬
Thought bubble variations and the double speech bubble
The thought bubble emoji 💭 is a cloud shape, matching the comic convention for a private thought. It often appears before someone types out an idea or a reflection, and it works well in captions where you want to suggest an internal comment rather than spoken words.
There is no single double speech bubble emoji in the standard set. To show several messages at once, place two or more 💬 bubbles side by side, or pair one with a 💭 for a mix of spoken and unspoken. This pattern is a simple workaround, not an official character.
The thought bubble’s cloud design
The 💭 thought balloon is drawn as a cloud with small bubbles trailing up to it, the classic comic-book sign for thinking. That cloud shape is what separates it from 💬, which has a smooth rounded body with a tail pointing to the speaker.
The visual difference matters when you choose between the two: a cloud suggests an internal, unspoken idea, while a bubble suggests something said aloud. The eye in speech bubble 👁️🗨️ adds another layer, showing that something is being witnessed or noticed. Use 💭 before a rhetorical question or a daydream; reserve 💬 for direct messages and comments.
Questions people ask
What does 💭 mean?
A thought bubble: thinking, wondering or daydreaming. It introduces an idea or a musing.
What does 💬 mean?
A speech bubble: a message, comment or conversation. It is the emoji for “let’s talk” or “text me”.
Is there a thinking cloud emoji?
Yes, 💭 thought balloon is drawn as a cloud with bubbles leading to it — the comic-book thought cloud.
What emoji represents communication?
💬 speech bubble is the emoji for communication; it stands for messaging, commenting, or talking. 🗣️ speaking head also shows spoken communication, but 💬 is the usual choice for chat and text.
Is there a left speech bubble emoji?
Yes, there is a separate left speech bubble emoji: 🗨️. It shows a speech bubble with its tail pointing left, while 💬 is the standard speech balloon. Use 🗨️ when you need a clear left-pointing bubble.
About this guide
Written and maintained by the Emoji Directory editorial team, without ads or sponsorship. Meanings describe how the emoji is commonly used in public posts and messages, not an official definition. Names, code points, versions, keywords and translations come from the Unicode Emoji 18.0 and CLDR data; shortcodes from the gemoji project. Last reviewed . Spotted a mistake or a new usage? Tell us, or read how the directory is made.
