Is the character limit still 280?

Yes. A standard post on X allows up to 280 weighted characters. X Premium subscribers can post longer, but 280 is the limit for standard posts.

Do abbreviations hurt engagement?

Only when they slow the reader down. Common shorthand like 'u' or 'w/' reads instantly; obscure shorthand like 'gr8' or 'ne1' makes people stop, which costs you more than the space it saved.

Does deleting spaces help?

Barely, and it hurts readability. Removing a few double spaces is fine, but running words together to save two characters is not worth it. Cut a filler word instead.

Should I shorten my links to save room?

No. X counts every link as a flat 23 characters no matter its real length, so manually shortening a URL saves you nothing.

Is a thread better than a cramped single post?

Usually, yes. If fitting the idea into 280 means abbreviations a reader has to decode, a short thread communicates more clearly and tends to get read in full.

How to fit a long tweet into 280 characters

Short answer

To fit a tweet into 280 characters, cut the opening filler first, then replace long phrases with single words, and only then abbreviate individual words. X counts plain letters as 1 each, so most posts fit after removing two or three throat-clearing phrases. Paste the result into a counter that follows X's rules to confirm before you post.

Key takeaways

X allows 280 weighted characters per post; plain Latin letters weigh 1 each.
Deleting opener phrases like "I just wanted to say" usually saves 20 to 40 characters.
Phrase-level cuts preserve meaning better than letter-level abbreviations, so try them first.
Abbreviate only what you must, and split into a thread when compression starts hurting clarity.

You wrote a post you like and it is 312 characters. The fix is not to butcher it at random. Work through four steps in order, from the cut that costs the least meaning to the one that costs the most, and stop as soon as you are under the limit.

How many characters does a tweet allow?

A standard post on X allows 280 characters, and each plain Latin letter, digit, and common punctuation mark weighs 1. Emoji and CJK characters weigh 2, and any link is counted as a flat 23 characters once X wraps it. That means a post of ordinary English text has 280 real characters to work with, which is why trimming words is usually enough.

What should you cut first?

Cut the opening filler before anything else. Phrases like “I just wanted to say”, “It is interesting that”, and “So basically” add length without adding meaning. Removing them often saves 20 to 40 characters and makes the post read more directly. Start on your actual point instead.

How do you shorten without abbreviating?

Replace long phrases with single words that mean the same thing. “In order to” becomes “to”. “At this point in time” becomes “now”. “Due to the fact that” becomes “because”. These swaps are invisible to the reader because the meaning is identical, so always exhaust them before you touch spelling.

When should you use abbreviations?

Only abbreviate once phrase cuts have run out and you are still over the limit. Use shorthand your readers already know, such as you to u, with to w/, or because to bc, and apply the mildest one or two first. The full list is in the abbreviation dictionary. If a reader would have to pause to decode it, it cost you more than the characters it saved.

What if it still does not fit?

If the post is still over after every safe cut, split it into a thread instead of compressing further. Past a certain point, abbreviation trades readability for space, and a two-post thread reads better than one unreadable post. You can paste your draft into the twonvert tool, which applies the safe cuts automatically, shows you exactly what it changed, and tells you when a thread is the better call.

Sources

Counting characters, X Developer Platform documentation.
twitter-text, X’s open-source character-counting library, GitHub.