As the popularity of digitally based communication devices increases, so does the propensity for individuals to find clever ways to convey messages in a shorter amount of space and time. Often, individuals use word or phrase shortening techniques known collectively as text-speak. A majority of investigations into the topic of text-speak have only focused on the potential impact text-speak may have on literacy or scholastic achievement (Crystal, 2008; Pinker 1994; Thurlow, 2003). However, there is a void in empirical investigation into how individuals create text-speak and more importantly how they process it (Farrell & Lyddy, 2012). The primary aim of this dissertation is to systematically investigate text-speak using various methodological techniques to gain a better understanding of how people create text-speak and explore how it elicits meaningful comprehension. An additional aim of this dissertation is to determine whether processing text-speak comes at a cognitive cost.