Winky face tongue out emoji 😜
The winky face tongue out emoji 😜 is the playful wink-and-tongue combo that signals joking, cheekiness, or light teasing. Here’s exactly what it means and how to use it.
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What the winky face tongue out emoji means
This emoji is a staple of playful texting. Officially called “winking face with tongue”, it shows a yellow face with one eye closed in a wink, the other open, and a pink tongue sticking out to the side. That combination reads as cheeky, mischievous, and light-hearted all at once.
It’s the emoji you reach for when you want to show you’re not being serious. For example, a message like “I definitely studied for the test 😜” makes it clear you’re joking. The wink element (see wink emoji) signals shared understanding, while the tongue (see tongue emoji) adds playful defiance. Together they create a tone that’s more goofy than flirty, though context can shift it.
Because the wink softens the tongue, 😜 rarely reads as rude. It’s closer to a nudge than a taunt, which is why it works so well in group chats and comments where you want to add a touch of mischief without causing offence.
How people use 😜
In everyday chats, 😜 appears in a few recurring situations. It softens gentle teasing, celebrates small mischiefs, and responds to jokes with a wink. It’s also popular in social media captions where the poster is being a little self-satisfied or sarcastic.
- Teasing: “I can’t believe you tripped over nothing 😜”
- Confessing something minor: “I spoiled the ending for you 😜”
- Responding to a punchline: “That was terrible, I love it 😜”
- Flirty but not serious: “You’re thinking about me, aren’t you? 😜”
The emoji often stands in for a wink-plus-tongue gesture that you might do in person. It can make a blunt statement feel friendlier, as if you’re saying “just kidding” without actually typing it out. In longer messages, it often sits at the end to cap off a playful thought.
Compare winking face with tongue with similar emoji
| Emoji | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| winking face with tongueU+1F61C | The main emoji: wink plus tongue for cheeky, conspiratorial play. | |
| face savoring foodU+1F60B | Licking lips, used for something delicious or appealing. | |
| face with tongueU+1F61B | Plain stuck-out tongue, neutral silly or playful. | |
| zany faceU+1F92A | Big grin, one eye bigger, tongue out; wild and wacky. | |
| squinting face with tongueU+1F61D | Closed eyes and open mouth tongue out; laughing hard. | |
| money-mouth faceU+1F911 | Tongue is a dollar bill; greed, money, expensive things. |
Similar emoji: telling the tongue faces apart
The face-tongue subgroup in Unicode includes several emoji that are easy to confuse. 😛 the plain face with tongue is goofy but neutral, 🤪 zany face is unhinged and wild, 😋 face savoring food means something is tasty, 😝 squinting face with tongue is a full-on laugh, and 🤑 money-mouth face is about financial gain.
Each one adds a slightly different flavour to your message. 😜 is the most deliberately wink-led, making it the choice when you want to share a private joke or acknowledge a cheeky thought. If you’re after the other tongue-out styles, check the main tongue emoji page for more details.
How to copy and type 😜
To copy 😜, highlight it anywhere on this page and use Ctrl+C (Windows) or Cmd+C (Mac). On phones, long-press the emoji and choose Copy. To type it directly, open your emoji keyboard: on iPhone, tap the smiley face or globe icon; on Android, tap the emoji key; on Windows, press Windows key + . (period); on Mac, press Control + Command + Space.
In the emoji picker, search for “wink” or “tongue” and 😜 should appear. You can also save it as a text replacement on iPhone or Android to type a shortcut like “winktongue” and have it expand to the emoji. For more tips, see our emoji keyboard shortcuts page.
The emoji appears as a yellow face with a pink tongue.
Questions people ask
What does the winky face tongue out emoji mean?
It means playfulness, cheekiness, or light teasing. The wink adds a conspiratorial feel, while the tongue keeps it silly and fun.
Is the winky face tongue out emoji flirty?
It can be, depending on context. It’s often used in a goofy way, but if the message is already romantic, this emoji can add a playful flirtatious edge.
What’s the difference between 😜 and 😛?
😜 has a winking eye, which adds a layer of “we both know something” or joking. 😛 is just a plain tongue-out face, more neutral or simply silly.
How do I type 😜?
Use your device’s emoji keyboard and search for “wink” or “tongue”. You can also copy it from this page.
When should I use 😜?
Use it after a joke, a playful insult, or when you want to signal that you’re not being serious. It’s great for teasing and light-hearted banter.
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.
