Leetspeak
Spelling variations that replace English letters with numbers and characters
Example
Kevin started to use leetspeak to hide what he's actually saying to his friends online
This guy definitely uses leetspeak
Related Slang
| l33t | Leet |
| 0773H | Hello |
| plox | Please |
| pwn3d | Owned |
| w00t | Joy and excitement |
| n00b | A new or inexperienced user |
| h4x0r | Hacker |
| 1337 | Leet |
Can you score under par in this golf terms quiz?
Leetspeak is a language where a user replaces English letters in words with similar-looking characters and numbers. Most people utilize it online, but they may also use it offline in print.
While leetspeak is primarily seen online, it dates back to the 1980s when it was created by savvy users on bulletin board systems (BBS). The users formulated it to bypass BBS filters that prohibited the use of certain words.
Nowadays, savvy computer users, such as h4x0rz or gamers, are most likely to use the language in web forums, gaming matches, and online messages. While they may still utilize it to use prohibited words, they typically use it to show off their high-tech IQ and make fun of n00bs.
Examples of leetspeak
Some examples of numbers or characters used to represent English letters include 0 for "o," 7 for "t," 4 for "a," 3 for "e," $ for "s," @ for "a," ! for "i," and + for "t." There are several leetspeak words that have entered the public online lexicon, most notably the "n00b," "w00t," and "pwn3d" (or "pwnd") terms.