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Language is a powerful tool that unites people. Simple words, sounds, and expressions can be used to share experiences and build relationships and community.
The popular phrase “6-7” has done exactly that, CNN reports. This innocuous number has gone viral on TikTok. It’s also been heard in schools across the US.
The Trend’s Origin
6-7 started as part of the lyrics from a popular song by the rapper Skrilla. Around the same time, Taylen Kinney, a talented high school basketball player with over one million followers, appeared in a video rating a Starbucks drink as somewhere between a six and seven, while moving his palms up and down.
After the Kinney video, a sports fan went viral in a clip where he shouted the phrase 6-7 while moving his palms up and down as well. From there, the phrase took on a life of its own.
Now, gen alpha kids can’t stop repeating the phrase throughout the day, for example, when turning to page 67 in their textbook or when lunchtime is six or seven minutes away. The viral numbers are pronounced six-seveeeeen.
But the phrase has grown beyond its lore and most kids who use it don’t even know its origin story. “Nobody knows what it means. And that’s kind of the funny thing about it,” Gabe Dannengring, a seventh-grade science teacher in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, tells CNN.
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The Benefits of 6-7
6-7 became so popular that Dictionary.com called it the Word of the Year for 2025, according to Forbes. Some argue that its usage has positive benefits. “It's part inside joke, part social signal and part performance,” Steve Johnson, Dictionary Media Group’s director of lexicography, tells Forbes. “When people say it, they're not just repeating a meme; they're shouting a feeling,” he adds.
In the classroom, teachers have mixed feelings on 6-7. While some teachers haven’t allowed the phrase, others have found ways to use the trend to keep students engaged. One TikTok video shows a sixth-grade teacher using the phrase to get students to focus and listen. Another video shows a teacher turning the trend into a joke, by giving students a math exam where the correct answer to all parts of the test is 67.
An Inside Joke
According to CNN, 6-7’s allure goes beyond keeping kids engaged in class. It’s become a sort of inside joke and by using it, kids feel like they’re a part of the “in-crowd.” In other words, it’s a signal of belongingness.
“Language is a way for people to form community,” Gail Fairhurst, a professor who teaches leadership communication, tells CNN. “Even if it’s a nonsense term, if they seem to know what it means, that can be a unifying force. And if somebody isn’t understanding the term, it can exclude people from that community, as well,” she adds. People outside the trend, especially adults, may not immediately grasp the joke, which can create a playful generational divide.
Every generation invents its own slang and trends. And when it comes to 6-7, although some teachers might feel like they hear it too much, it can serve the added benefit of bringing kids together. Language has a way of uniting people and this one generational craze has created a shared gen alpha moment of connection.
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