Leetspeak (often stylized as "1337 speak" or "leet") is an alternative alphabet used primarily on the Internet. It uses various combinations of ASCII characters to replace certain letters in words, often to create a sense of insider identity or to avoid using standard language, sometimes to evade text filters.
The term "leet" is derived from the word "elite." In leetspeak, letters may be replaced by numbers or special characters that resemble the letter visually. For example:
- A = 4 or @
- E = 3
- I = 1
- O = 0
- S = 5 or $
- T = 7
An example of the word "leet" in leetspeak could be "1337."
Leetspeak was especially popular in online gaming and hacker cultures, but it has since become more mainstream in various internet communities. While it originally served as a form of playful communication among certain groups, its use has evolved over time, often becoming a humorous or nostalgic reference rather than a serious mode of communication.
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