1337 speech, commonly referred to as "leet speak" (or "leetspeak"), is an alternative alphabet that uses combinations of ASCII characters to replace certain letters in words. It originated in online gaming and hacker culture as a way to communicate in a humorous and playful manner.
In leet speak, letters are often replaced by similar-looking numbers or symbols. For example:
- A → 4 or @
- B → 8
- E → 3
- G → 9
- I → 1 or !
- O → 0
- S → 5 or $
- T → 7
- Z → 2
Here are some examples of leet speak:
- "leet" becomes "1337"
- "hacker" becomes "h4ck3r"
- "hello" becomes "h3ll0"
- "awesome" becomes "4w350m3"
- "internet" becomes "1nt3rn3t"
While it was popular in the early 2000s, its use has declined, and it is often seen as a quirky way to reference internet culture.