Selfie: It's about to get into the dictionary

The social media buzzword "selfie" is likely to be included in the Oxford English Dictionary after being picked as the "word of the year" for 2013. The first recognised use of the term - shorthand for a self-portrait photograph - was in 2002 on an Australian online forum.

Oxford Dictionaries said the frequency of the noun's use had increased by 17,000 per cent in the past year. It was added to the more informal Oxford Dictionaries Online in August, along with "twerking", which refers to a suggestive dance move. But the noun, which the online dictionary describes as "a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website", could be included in the Oxford English Dictionary as early as next month.

Judy Pearsall, the dictionary's editorial director, said: "Using the Oxford Dictionaries's language research programme we can see a phenomenal trend in the use of selfie in 2013, and this helped to cement its selection as word of the year. In early examples the word was often spelt with a "y", but the "ie" form is more common today and has become the accepted spelling."

She added: "The use of the diminutive "ie" suffix is notable, as it helps to turn an essentially narcissistic enterprise into something more endearing." Selfie pipped "twerking", "showrooming", "binge watch", "bitcoin" and "bedroom tax", to the top prize. Previous winners include "chav", "credit crunch" and "omnishambles".