🧠 Why "6, 7" is the word of the year

Today’s Edition of Captivated: Why “6,7” is the 2025 Word of the Year

If you’ve been literally anywhere on Earth this year, scrolling TikTok, sitting in a classroom, or just minding your business, you’ve heard it…

Someone says it’s 6 o’clock... or anything related to the number 6... And suddenly someone says, “6, 7.”

You pause. Maybe roll your eyes a little. Because it’s everywhere, still.

And now, Dictionary.com just made it official. The 2025 Word of the Year isn’t even a word. It’s two numbers:

“6, 7.”

Here's why it works and how you can tap into it…

(continues below).

🧠 SMART TOOLS YOU CAN USE: FROM OUR SPONSORS

As with any digital ad campaign, the important thing is to reach streaming audiences who will convert. To that end, Roku’s self-service Ads Manager stands ready with powerful segmentation and targeting options. After all, you know your customers, and we know our streaming audience.

Worried it’s too late to spin up new Black Friday creative? With Roku Ads Manager, you can easily import and augment existing creative assets from your social channels. We also have AI-assisted upscaling, so every ad is primed for CTV.

Once you’ve done this, then you can easily set up A/B tests to flight different creative variants and Black Friday offers. If you’re a Shopify brand, you can even run shoppable ads directly on-screen so viewers can purchase with just a click of their Roku remote.

Bonus: we’re gifting you $5K in ad credits when you spend your first $5K on Roku Ads Manager. Just sign up and use code GET5K. Terms apply.

Use code GET5K now

🎧 Rather Listen than Read?

Scroll all the way to the top and click: Listen Online / Hit the Play icon

📈 FUN FACT: DID YOU KNOW?

According to Dictionary.com, searches for “6, 7” jumped more than 600% since the summer.

It’s the youngest-skewing Word of the Year ever recorded, used mostly by Gen Alpha, who are redefining how language spreads faster than dictionaries can keep up.

🧠

.. How Did We Get Here..

This is the first time Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year isn’t technically a word. It’s an interjection. A sound. A moment.

So, where did 6, 7 even come from??

It started with a song called “Doot Doot (6 7)” by Skrilla, attached itself to Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball's 6’7” height, and snowballed through TikTok videos like, Kinney rating Starbucks, and “6 7 Kid.”

From there, it spread into classrooms, comments, and daily conversations until teachers were literally posting online for advice on how to get students to STOP saying it.

Searches for “6, 7” rose more than sixfold since June, and shows no signs of slowing down. No other number showed any change. Just this one.

It’s not even something you type out in a sentence. It’s something you say. Usually with both hands up, palms wobbling.

And, not only is it not a word, not something really written down, it also... doesn't really have a clear meaning.

It's mostly used as a form of expression, for emphasis, and largely among Gen Alpha.

But underneath all that, “6, 7” shows something bigger about where language and culture are heading.

After analyzing news, headlines, trends, search engine results and more, Dictionary.com chose the word for its insane reach and impact.

“6, 7” is connection in shorthand, and a micro-signal that says, I’m part of this moment too.

And that's what makes this year's "word" so interesting.

🧠

.. Brain Science-Backed: The Psychology Behind It ..

“6, 7” spread because it hit four psychological levers at once: belonging, simplicity, play, and repetition:

🧠 Social Belonging

Humans are wired to mirror one another.

It’s part of how we bond. When you repeat a phrase you’ve heard others say, you get a small hit of dopamine, the same chemical that fires when you feel included or recognized. Saying “6,7” signals this exclusive membership.

🧠 Cognitive Ease:

The brain loves shortcuts.

Three catchy, short syllables are effortless to process and repeat, which makes “6, 7” sticky. When language is easy to say and recall, it spreads quickly. Psychologists call this processing fluency.

🧠 Humor as Emotional Regulation:

Nonsense phrases give the brain a quick release from overstimulation.

Humor lowers cortisol and helps us reset. “6, 7” is playful noise that gives people a second to laugh and breathe in a nonstop, overstimulated feed.

🧠 Repetition and Algorithmic Amplification:

TikTok’s algorithm rewards repetition and familiarity.

The more people said it, the more it showed up, training both the algorithm and the audience to expect it.

Our brains learn through repetition too, which means the more we hear something, the more natural it feels.

Together, that’s why “6,7” isn’t really random, as much as it's textbook social psychology and behavioral design working in real time.

🧠 SMART (FREE) TOOLS YOU CAN USE: FROM OUR SPONSORS

Is your team using AI like the leaders—or still stuck experimenting?

Masters in Marketing’s AI Trends Report breaks down how top marketers are using tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Breeze to scale content, personalize outreach, and drive real results.

Inside the report, you’ll discover:

Download the report. Free when you subscribe to the Masters in Marketing newsletter.

Learn what’s working now, and what’s next.

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT

🥷

.. Use this Psychology Strategy ..

Here’s how to tap into the same science behind this viral phenomenon turned word of the year:

1: Make Moments People Can Repeat

Create something short, shareable, and flexible: a phrase, a template, a prompt. The easier it is to copy, the faster it spreads. “6, 7” worked because anyone could join in, say it, gesture it, or even remix it.

Spotify Wrapped nails this every December. Everyone’s results are unique, but the format is identical, and one big collective moment that invites participation.

2: Use Repetition Intentionally
Choose a short line, image, emoji, sound, or format and repeat it until it becomes muscle memory for your audience. (“Ah, that’s that place that always says…”)

Repetition builds recognition and creates cognitive ease: the more familiar something feels, the more we like it. That’s why the brain leans toward what it’s seen before.

Starbucks does this with its seasonal drinks: the red cup, the same names, the same phrases every year. That familiarity builds comfort and keeps people coming back.

3: Mirror Back Their Language
Pay attention to how your customers actually talk online - the words, emojis, or tones they use - and reflect that back in your copy.

Mirroring increases liking and makes your company feel part of the in-group. People pay more attention to words, tones, and styles that sound like their own. It’s called linguistic mirroring, and it increases liking and trust.

4: Add Lightness to Overwhelm
When things feel too serious or too noisy, add a little humor.

Play and humor activate the same brain circuits as curiosity and reward. They lower defenses, boost dopamine, and make messages stick. Even a single playful sentence in an email or product description can reduce decision fatigue and make engagement easier.

🧠 SMART (FREE) TOOLS YOU CAN USE: FROM OUR SPONSORS

AI will eliminate 300 million jobs in the next 5 years.

Yours doesn't have to be one of them.

Here's how to future-proof your career:

Start learning AI now

✌

.. but wait, there’s more ..

Other finalists on the Word of the Year shortlist included:

Each one says something about control, identity, and presentation. But “6, 7” beat them all because it captured something more human, that je ne sais quoi, that impulse to belong.

✌

.. tl;dr & captivated wrap-up ..

“6, 7” became the 2025 Word of the Year because it reflects how fast language and culture now move together.

It started as a sound from a song, spread through TikTok, and turned into something people everywhere recognize, even if no one can quite define it.

Its rise shows how meaning itself is changing. Instead of words describing ideas, we’re watching ideas form around shared moments, jokes, and rhythm.

“6, 7” doesn’t translate; its meant to connect. It’s proof that in a year ruled yet again by algorithms and endless scrolling, what still cuts through and captivates is community, timing, and the spark of recognition when everyone’s in on the same thing, everywhere, all at once.