A first user equipment (UE)—during a real time text (RTT) communication session with a second UE—may be configured to transmit RTT content in “word mode” by buffering text characters in local memory as they are typed by a user, and holding off on transmitting the buffered text characters until the user types a word delimiter or a timer expires, whichever occurs first. In an example process, the first UE may detect character user input requesting to type a text character, and, in response, the first UE starts a timer and buffers the text character in local memory. The timer can be restarted for additional text characters that are typed before expiration of the timer, and those additional text characters are also buffered. The buffered text characters are transmitted upon detecting delimiter user input requesting to type a word delimiter or the expiration of the timer, whichever occurs first.