Editing Leet (section)

==Orthography==
One of the hallmarks of leet is its unique approach to [[orthography]], using substitutions of other letters, or indeed of characters other than letters, to represent letters in a word.<ref name=sterling>Sterling, 70.</ref><ref name="goss 80">Blashki & Nichol, 80.</ref> For more casual use of leet, the primary strategy is to use quasi-[[homoglyph]]s, symbols that closely resemble (to varying degrees) the letters for which they stand. 

The choice of symbol is not fixed: anything the reader can make sense of is valid in leet-speak. Sometimes, [[gamers|a gamer]] would work around a nickname being already taken (and maybe abandoned as well) by replacing a letter with a similar-looking digit.

* However, leet is also seen in situations where the [[argot]] (e.g. secret language) characteristics of the system are required, either to exclude newbies or outsiders in general, i.e., anything that the ''average'' reader ''cannot'' make sense of is valid; a valid reader should themselves try to make sense, if deserving of the underlying message.
* Mild leet can be used to mess with [[frequency analysis]] "as is".

Another use for leet orthographic substitutions is the creation of paraphrased passwords.<ref name=mitchell/> Limitations imposed by websites on password length (usually no more than 36) and the characters permitted (e.g. alphanumeric and symbols)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://help.pearsoncmg.com/rumba/b2c_self_reg/en/Content/b2c_signin_guidelines.html|title=Username and Password Guidelines|website=help.pearsoncmg.com|access-date=2019-12-10}}</ref> require less extensive forms when used in this application.

[[File:31337 h4x0r.jpg|thumb|The same sticker on one's laptop demonstrates upside-down "31337" as "ELEET"]]

Some examples of leet include:
* ''[[BIFF (Usenet)|B1ff]]''.
* ''n00b'' -- a term for "noob", the stereotypical [[newbie]].
* The '''l33t''' programming language.
* ''"E5C4P3"'': stylized cover of [[Journey (band)|Journey]]'s [[Escape_(Journey_album)|Escape]] album.
* ''k3w1'' deciphers as "kewl" (which is derived from "cool").
* The web-comics ''[[Megatokyo]]'' and ''[[Homestuck]]'', which contain characters who speak variations of leet.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gallagher |first1=Fred |last2=Caston |first2=Rodney |title="MegaTokyo - [9] Speak L33t?" |url=https://megatokyo.com/strip/9 |website=MegaTokyo |access-date=2024-01-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Hussie |first1=Andrew |title===> |url=https://www.homestuck.com/story/1528 |website=Homestuck |access-date=2024-01-31}}</ref>
* The digit "5" in [[Deadmau5]] nickname.
* "DEF 4L7" plates are used by Defalt (''[[sic!]]''), a hacker from the [[Watch Dogs]] videogame (the first in the series). "DefAlt" nickname is a possible reference to "default [settings]" <!-- "Defalt" without the "u" !-->
* Upside-down "1337" (with a bar under "1") also reads as "LEET" (see example on the photo).
* "1 (4/\/"7 |_|/\/[)3|2574/\/[) '/0|_||2 \/\/|2171/\/9.17’5 (0/\/|=|_|51/\/9" is heavily leet-styled "I can’t understand your writing. It’s confusing".
* Sometimes, a word can be typed in leet with digits only:
** "360" codes word "EGO" in leet.
** "1687" or "1987" can be used to hint to IGBTs, e.g. [[insulated-gate bipolar transistor]]s.
** "2007 2008" deciphers as "''QOOT QOOB''" (which is derived from "cute cube").
** "2077" (as a hint to [[Cyberpunk 2077]]) can be found in [[Zott (dairy company)|"ZOTT"]] logo;
** "11363015" means ''LIEGEOIS'', e.g. [[Liège]]. <!-- "''Liégeois''" is also a name for a certain popular product by Zott. !-->
** "12314734813" happens to cover "RELATEABLE" word.
** "137 17 83 137 17 60" hides "let it be, let it go" phrase
** "4150" may stand for "ALSO"
** "33571 - 18124" unravels as "''[[Eesti]] - [[Ibiza]]''".
* Alternatively, sometimes 3 or 6 letters can be leet-ified into a valid [[Web colors|hexadecimal color code]]:
** <span style="color:#614D05">█</span> "614D05" is a valid HEX-code for a dark shade of gold color, referencing [[GLaDOS]];
** <span style="color:#572E55">█</span> "572E55" (or <span style="color:#572355">█</span> "572355") is a dark purple color, coming from the word "STRESS";
** <span style="color:#1C373A">█</span> "1C373A" is a dark cyan ("icy") color, derived from "ICE TEA";
** <span style="color:#C47C47">█</span> "C47C47" is a peach-orange color related to [[cat]]s;
** <span style="color:#C01025">█</span> "C01025" is a pink-ish shade of red, derived from the word "COLORS";
** <span style="color:#D35327">█</span> "D35327" is a dark orange color, produced from "DESERT" word.
** <span style="color:#B07713">█</span> "80771E" is a yellowish-orange color, produced from "BOTTLE" word.
** <span style="color:#B00B15">█</span> "B00B15" is a redish color, derived from the misspelled "[[Breast|BOOBIES]]" word.
** <span style="color:#B4DD1E">█</span> "B4DD1E" is a yellowish-green color, produced from "BADDIE" word.
* It is possible to spell words and names in leet-speak to create additional references. 
** For example, the female name "Marisa" can be spelled as /\/\AR15/\ - with a reference to the [[AR-15]] platform. 
** 834-613 means [[Beagle|BEA-GLE]] all while also referencing to the [[Beagle Boys]] and their names (e.g. 6-digit IDs) in particular.
** 2017Δ1337 is a reference to [[Colt Delta Elite]], where "2017" stands for "Qolt" (derived from "Colt") and "1337" bears aforementioned "Elite" meaning.

However, leetspeak should not be confused with [[SMS language|SMS-speak]], characterized by using "4" as "for", "2" as "to", "b&" as "ban'd" (e.g. "banned"), "gr8 b8, m8, appreci8, no h8" as "great bait, mate, appreciate, no hate", and so on.


=== Table of leet-speak substitutes for normal letters ===
{| class="wikitable" style="empty-cells: show; text-align:center;"
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
!A
!B
!C
!D
!E
!F
!G
!H
!I
!J
!K
!L
!M
!N
!O
!P
!Q
!R
!S
!T
!U
!V
!W
!X
!Y
!Z
|- style="vertical-align:top;"
|<!--A-->| <code> a <br> 4 <br> /\ <br> [[@]] <br> /-\ <br> ^  <br>(L<br> [[Д]]</code>
|<!--B-->| <code> b <br> I3 <br> 8 <br> 13 <br> |3 <br> [[ß]] <br> !3 <br> (3 <br> /3 <br>)3 <br> |-] <br> j3 </code>
|<!--C-->| <code> c <br> [ <br> [[¢]] <br> < <br> (<br> [[©]]</code>
|<!--D-->| <code> d <br> ) <br> |) <br> (| <br> [) <br> I> <br> |> <br> ? <br> T) <br> I7 <br> cl <br> |} <br> |] </code>
|<!--E-->| <code> e <br> 3 <br> & <br> [[£]] <br> [[€]] <br>  [- <br> |=- </code>
|<!--F-->| <code> f <br> |= <br> [[ƒ]] <br> |# <br> ph <br> /= <br> v </code>
|<!--G-->| <code> g <br> 6 <br> & <br> (_+ <br> 9 <br> C- <br> gee <br> (?, <br> [, <br> {, <br> <- <br>(. </code>
|<!--H-->| <code> h <br> [[Hash symbol|#]] <br> /-/ <br>\-\ [-] <br> ]-[ <br>)-(<br> (-) <br> :-: <br> |~| <br> |-| <br> ]~[ <br> }{ <br> !-! <br> 1-1 <br> \-/ <br> I+I <br> ? </code>
|<!--I-->| <code> i <br> 1 <br> | <br> ][ <br> ! <br> eye <br> 3y3 </code>
|<!--J-->| <code> j <br> ,_| <br> _| <br> ._| <br> ._] <br> _] <br> ,_] <br> ] </code>
|<!--K-->| <code> k <br> >| <br> |< <br> 1< <br> |c <br> |(</code>7<
|<!--L-->| <code> l <br> 1 <br> 7 <br> 2 <br> £ <br> |_ <br> |</code>
|<!--M-->| <code> m <br> /\/\ <br> /V\ <br> [V] <br> |\/| <br> ^^ <br> <\/> <br> {V} <br> (v) <br> (V) <br> |\|\ <br> ]\/[ <br> nn </code><code> 11 </code>
|<!--N-->| <code> n <br> ^/ <br> |\| <br> /\/ <br> [\] <br> <\> <br> {\} <br> /V <br> ^ <br> ท <br> [[И]] <br> </code>
|<!--O-->| <code> o <br> 0 <br> () <br> oh <br> [] <br> p <br> <> <br> Ø </code>
|<!--P-->| <code> p <br> |* <br> |o <br> |[[º]] <br> ? <br> |^ <br> |> <br> |" <br> 9 <br> []D <br> |[[°]]  |7 </code>
|<!--Q-->| <code> q <br> (_,) <br> ()_ <br> 2 <br> 0_ <br> <| <br> & <br> 9 <br> [[¶]] <br> ⁋ <br> [[℗]] </code>
|<!--R-->| <code> r <br> I2 <br> 9 <br> |` <br> |~ <br> |? <br> /2 <br> |^ <br> lz <br> 7 <br> 2 <br> 12 <br>[[®]] <br> [z <br> [[Я]] <br> .- </code> <br> |2 <br> |-
3 <br> 4
|<!--S-->| <code> s <br> 5 <br> $ <br> z <br> [[§]] <br> ehs <br> es <br> 2 </code>
|<!--T-->| <code> t <br> 7 <br> + <br> <nowiki>-|-</nowiki> <br> '][' <br> [[†]] <br> «|» <br> ~|~ </code>
|<!--U-->| <code> u <br> (_) <br> |_| <br> v <br> L| <br> บ </code>
|<!--V-->| <code> v <br> \/ <br> |/ <br> \| <br> </code>
|<!--W-->| <code> w <br> \/\/ <br> vv <br> \N <br> '// <br> \\' <br> \^/ <br> \/\/ <br> (n) <br> \V/ <br> \X/ <br> \|/ <br> \_|_/ <br> \_:_/ <br> uu <br> 2u <br> \\//\\// <br> พ <br> [[₩]] <br>[[Omega|ω]]<br /></code>
|<!--X-->| <code> x <br> >< <br> }{ <br> ecks <br> [[×]] <br> [[?]] <br> }{ <br>)(<br> ][ </code>
|<!--Y-->| <code> y <br> j <br> `/ <br> \|/ <br> [[¥]] <br> \//</code><code><nowiki>`|΄ </nowiki></code>
|<!--Z-->| <code> z <br> 2 <br> 7_ <br> -/_ <br> % <br> >_ <br> s <br> ~/_ <br> -\_ <br /> -|_</code>
|}