Millennials can't crack the code on Gen Alpha's buzzy word of the year '6 7' — and that says a lot about language today
67 may be the word of the moment right now, but what does it really mean for generational dialogue in the long run?
'6-7'. Is that 'sixty seven'? 'six', 'seven'? or 'six dash seven'?
If you're having a tough time trying to decipher the point, sense and etymology of Dictionary.com's word of the year for 2025, you're not alone.
Now slangs hold a contemporary relevance in their general context. Their miscellaneous and colloquial nature however, is something that has held up through decades . After all, they were never really considered 'proper English'. With 67, Generation Alpha seems to have finally taken the baton on the conversation-making territory right out of the hands of the infamous Gen Zs.
Internet culture and memes, particularly owing to their lightning fast turnover pace, would have you believe Millennials to be and act ancient — not really true considering the oldest Millennial today wouldn't be any older than 44 — but back in the day, they too went hammer and tong in reinventing the English language to reflect their quirk quotient at a superficial level, and deeper dialogue at a cerebral level. Bae, basic, extra, fam, lit and savage all owe their coinage to them. Remember when woke used to be a mainstream slang?
Now while the lists for Millennial slangs cap off at twenty-something bullets, there are over 50 slang words attributed to their generational successors, Gen Z. Stan, W, L, ghosting, salty, finna, cap-no cap, simp, drip, living rent free, bet, periodt, main character, bussin'...the list can go on and on and on. With the oldest of Gen Zs now having entered their 28th year and the oldest of Gen Alpha just having entered year 14, it's clearly time for a generational upgrade on the slang scene. And 6-7 is just that.
Dictionary.com officially defines the 'word' as "a viral, ambiguous slang term that has waffled its way through Gen Alpha social media and school hallways. While the term is largely nonsensical, some argue it means 'so-so,' or 'maybe this, maybe that,' especially when paired with a hand gesture where both palms face up and move alternately up and down."
What this really means
We asked an expert to explain what this shift in conversation means on a deeper level.
Gunjan Anand, Facilitator and strategic soft skills coach, reflected on how 67's global moment is actually very telling of how the current crop of generations, particularly Gen Alpha, curate their identities, both in reality and online. She said, “Language is an ever-evolving means to communicate. The inclusion of ‘67’ in mainstream dictionary indicates the linguistic innovation of Gen Alpha using visual storytelling and technology. It’s a generation born and raised in age of social media and AI, which shapes their collective identity. It acknowledges the youth-led digital spaces as authentic hubs of cultural innovation.”
As far as the kneejerk difference in style of communication goes across generations, it shouldn't feel as jarring as it does. “Millennials used text as the main form of communication; long post and blogs as they grew up with rise of internet. Genz was officially the first generation to be raised on smartphones. They incorporated visual communication; emojis, GIF’s, memes and similar formats. Gen alpha is immersed in AI driven tech and multisensory digital worlds. For them, communication is more visual and multi layered. They go beyond static self-descriptions through the use of filters and avatars", she concluded.
Rewinding the word vomit
Following the internet's trail, 67 can be traced to American rapper Skrilla's song, Doot Doot (6 7), the line in question being, “6-7, I just bipped right on the highway (bip, bip).” It began its ascent to popularity when the track was played against edits of American NBA basketball player LaMelo Ball, who happens to be exactly 6'7''. Then came the hand gesture, largely believed to be the credit of Taylor Kinney, who weighed his hands whimsically while rating a Starbucks drink saying, “Like a 6... 6... 6-7." The final shove came in March 2025, when internet personality Cam Wilder shared a YouTube video of a kid (now eternally dubbed as ‘the 67 kid’) chanting the word, hand gesture and all in tow. And the rest was internet history.
So 6 7, means, well…6 7.
