1337

1337, also known as leet or l33t, is a form of stylized writing that uses numerals and symbols to replace letters. The term 1337 itself spells “leet” from “elite” in leetspeak, and it is used to signal skill or insider status in online communities. The practice spans a range of substitutions, with common mappings including 1 or | for L, 3 for E, 0 for O, 4 for A, 5 for S, and 7 for T. A typical example is the word “leet” rendered as 1337.

Origins and spread are tied to early online cultures, including bulletin board systems and hacker communities from the 1980s and 1990s. Leetspeak arose partly as a playful abbreviation system and partly as a way to circumvent simple text filters on early networks. As online gaming, message boards, and forums grew, 1337 and related variants gained broader visibility and evolved into a recognizable meme within internet culture.

Today, leetspeak remains a cultural reference rather than a practical writing system. It appears in usernames, retro or stylized branding, and humorous posts. While it can still be used to evade basic automated filters, most contemporary moderation systems recognize leet variants, and the practice is generally understood as a relic of early internet subcultures and gaming communities.