KEKW Meaning Explained: KEKW Emote Origins, Pronunciation & More

Want to know the KEKW meaning? You’re not the only one! We’ve prepared this handy guide that explains the KEKW meaning in clear terms so that you’ll never have to ask dumb questions like, ‘What does KEKW mean?’ ever again! Plus we’ll even look into the KEKW origin and show you a quick KEKW video so that you totally understand what we mean. So keep reading to get the answer to the question, ‘What is KEKW?’ once and for all!

KEKW Origins

The KEKW emote came about through the renaissance of Twitch emotes that spawned ResidentSleeper, Pogchamp, MonkaS, LULW, Kappa and many others through the years. A blend of a famous video and common gamer slang gave rise to one of the most commonly used Twitch emotes out there. 

Featuring the Spanish Laughing Guy, who was a much-missed actor and comedian named Juan Joya Borja, the YouTube video that made him famous is almost guaranteed to make you laugh even if you don’t understand a word of what he says in it. And that’s because the person’s way of talking and laughing is simply contagious. 

This video also has a great quality: because it’s in a foreign language that few people can understand, it can be used as a template with any subtitles you wish. And lots of meme creators and internet comedians did exactly that, in order to give more power to their message. Subsequently, it became viral and was quickly added to the internet’s catalog of memes. So why not reference it in a Twitch emote? Let’s see what KEKW means.

Who invented KEKW?

There’s plenty of debate about this question. Lots of people maintain that AdmiralBulldog was the first to use it, while other people insist it was xQc. However, there’s every chance that it could have been any other streamer. But regardless of who came up with this emote, it has truly captured the imagination of the global gaming community!

KEKW meaning explained

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So, what does KEKW mean? The meaning of KEKW is quite basic: it suggests laughter. And that’s why the Spanish Laughing Guy image was used to represent it on Twitch. Now you may ask: “But what is KEK?” And the answer is simple: KEK is the Koreans’ equivalent of the North American or European LOL. Or, if you’re from the CIS region, you may also add XAXAXAXA to the list.

KEK however is also how World of Warcraft transcribes LOL between opposing factions. If a Horde player writes LOL in chat, an Alliance player will read KEK. In the opposite way LOL transcribes to Bur.

Next to KEK we also have the letter W. And this letter is basically a suffix often used for Twitch emotes to convey an exaggerated facial expression.

Hence the emote KEKW.

Much like in our natural languages, the language of memes and emotes often creates a new element by putting two existing elements together. So now we know what KEKW means, it’s time to look at how this became such a popular emote!

The popularization of the KEKW emote

The KEKW emote became popular on Twitch around August 2019, after popular streamers such as AdmiralBulldog and xQc started using it in their streaming sessions. Thanks to their efforts, KEKW awareness grew rapidly and the KEKW emote pretty much replaced LUL, ROFL and other ways of expressing hysterical laughter.

At the moment, KEKW is one of the most used 15 emotes on Twitch. Given how ridiculously famous the scene with the Spanish comedian has become, it’s only natural that people use this emote to illustrate more vividly that they’re laughing. Or, to be more precise, that something is worth laughing at.

Read also: The meaning of Copium on Twitch

KEKW pronunciation

Most gamers will pronounce KEKW as if it’s a single word made up of three syllables: ‘keh-kuh-wah’. However, we have seen a few people reducing it to just two syllables: ‘keh-kwuh’. Just remember that however you say KEKW there’ll be someone who insists you’re saying it wrong!

Potential KEKW remixes

No doubt, people will take KEKW one step further. Just like lol turned into lul, then lulz or omegalul, KEKW is almost guaranteed to keep evolving as people feel the need to take it to the next level of absurdity. Of course, this is true just in writing. The Twitch emote will likely stay the same for a long time to come. But when you’re posting or reading something on Twitter, it’s perfectly viable to use or see a KEKW variation that uses the letter W as the start of a new word, such as KEKWhat or KEKWow. All of which shows that there are plenty of ways to come up with a KEKW remix!

How to get the KEKW emote on Twitch

OK, it’s very easy to get the KEKW emote on Twitch. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Download the BTTV extension
2. Add the KEKW emote to your channel
3. To use the emote, just type in KEKW in your chat

Why was the KEKW laugh banned?

The KEKW meme was briefly removed for one week following the passing of Juan Joya Borja – the person who inspired the emote. This happened in April 2021, but you’ll see the KEKW laugh everywhere nowadays.

The person behind the meme

The laughing guy in the KEKW meme is actually the much-loved Spanish comedian Juan Joya Borja. Also known as El Risitas, Borja was well known for his larger-than-life personality and infectious laugh. Sadly, Borja passed away on 28 April 2021, but his legacy lives on through the KEKW laugh.

KEKW FAQs

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