Why do you put a slash through the number 7 ?

Answer 1

A *slash* (/) or a *dash* (-)? The latter is done (as many other respondents already said), to prevent confusion between a 1 and a 7.

The former is done to indicate repetition of a digit, or sequence of digits. For example, if the result of a calculation is 0.77777777777 (with the 7 repeating ad infinitum), then it's usually abbreviated with 0.7 with a slash through the 7. Of course, this isn't done only with the digit 7....

Answer 2

A slash through 7 distinguishes it from a "1."

I've also put slashes through the number 0 to differentiate it from the letter "O."

I would say there's consistency in it... but I also cross "Z" to not confuse it with "2."

Answer 3

A while ago I travled to France. The slashed seven is widely used there. One reason is to prevent the confusion with a one. Its hard to describe but the way they were writting the number one looked alot like the way many of us here would write the number seven.

The slashed zero (a.k.a danish zero) is slashed to prevent confusion with an "Oh" ( 0 vs O).

Ditto for slashed Z, prevents confusion with the number 2
(Z vs 2)

Answer 4

Personally, I have a tendency to write my 1's like 7's when I write too fast. the line on the top tends to "tip" or "bend" down when i write too quickly. My school teachers often marked me wrong on tests when I wrote the 1's like 7's or vice versa.

Some people do it because it's "cute" the same way it's supposedly "cute" when women use a heart to dot their i. Apparently, this line through the 7 started somewhere in Europe and then people started using it here after a while.


What about the number 2? I write my 2's with the loop at the bottom. I don't write my 2's like the way the computer types it.
I don't do my 4's the same way either! :-)

Answer 5

It's something I picked up living in France, where everybody does it...
It helps to positively identify the handwritten number as a "7" and not a "1" -- some people don't write very well, and it can be hard to tell the two apart.

Answer 6

because sometimes depending on peoples handwriting it can be ambigious or unclear and could get confused with a 1 so theres a slash to diffrentiate more clearly the 1 and the 7

Answer 7

So it won't be confused with a 2. I also slash Z.

Answer 8

It's the European way of writing a 7.

Answer 9

To differentiate it from a 1.

Answer 10

So as not to confuse it with a 1.