“6-7” The mysterious word that baffled teachers and parents tops dictionaries in 2025 | Lifestyle

The Dictionary platform announced that the word for the year 2025 is “6-7”, pronounced “six seven”, which is a sarcastic and ambiguous colloquial expression that has spread widely among members of the Alpha generation, and has sparked a funny division between the generations.

The expression, which has been described as “absurd and full of playful absurdity,” is widely used in schools and social media, until it has become a remarkable linguistic phenomenon.

Steve Johnson, director of the dictionary department of the IXL Learning platform, said in his interview with CBS that the choice of the word came after the team noticed its rapid spread in daily conversations and on the Internet. “We thought that the word would disappear quickly, but it continued to spread until it turned into a real cultural phenomenon.” Pointing out that teachers hear it every day from their students who repeat it randomly.

A linguistic phenomenon without a specific meaning

What distinguishes “6-7” from the previous words chosen is that it does not have a clear meaning.

Johnson explained: “This is the first time we have chosen a word of the year that is essentially a vocal or emotional expression, used only to call out or shout, and that is what makes it interesting.”

According to the definition of “Dictionary”, it is believed that the word may sometimes be used in the sense of “normal” or “such and such”, as it is sometimes said with the movement of the hands up and down in an expressive manner, but it remains without a fixed meaning.

The site described this expression as an example of what is known as “Slang brainrot”, that is, absurd slang used for mere humor and childish exaggeration.

It is also seen as a symbol of generational affiliation among young people, as Johnson says: “It is a way of saying: I belong to this generation, and this is our way of communicating.”

Originally from a rap song and basketball memes

The origin of the expression can be traced to a song by rapper Skrilla titled “Dot Dot (6 7)”, which includes the phrase “6-7” in its lyrics. This expression was first spread through videos on the TikTok and Instagram platforms, where it was initially linked to the American basketball player LaMelo Ball, who is 6 feet and 7 inches tall, which contributed to the increased spread of the term.

The young man, Tylen Kenny, known by the abbreviation “TK”, also played an important role in popularizing the use of the expression among young people through video clips in which he repeated the word in a humorous way, which made it turn into a widespread “meme” on social media.

These clips also helped make the term “6-7” a part of modern digital culture, before it recently appeared in an episode of the series “South Park,” which consolidated its position in the language of the Internet and the Alpha generation.

List of final nominations for Word of the Year 2025

The Dictionary platform stated that the short list for Word of the Year included other terms related to artificial intelligence, politics, and digital culture, including:

Agentic: Used to describe artificial intelligence that is able to act autonomously to carry out tasks.

Aura farming: means “cultivating charisma”, that is, building a personal aura to attract attention online.

Gen Z stare: A cold, indifferent facial expression that characterizes Generation Z.

Overtourism: Excessive tourism and its negative effects on the environment and local communities.

Tariff: Customs duties imposed on imports and exports.

Tradwife: A term used to describe a married woman who chooses the role of a traditional wife devoted to the home, often associated with conservative values.