What's up with the extra line in the number 7 ?

[Mikey]

How come when some people write the number 7 they put an extra horizontal line in it half way up ? --- making it look like a lazy T

What's up with that ?

Do you write a 7 with the extra line and if so why ?

[ScottA]

I think it's for clarification that it's a 7 and not a 2. Depends on how lazy someone's hand writing is. I've seen people put a slash (/) in a 0 (zero) so it's not confused with an O, the letter.

[megoapesnut]

Some people write their 1's similar to a 7 as well. So the slash confirms that it is a 7 and not a 1 or 2.

[Adam West]

I personally use the horizontal slash for 7 because I work with numbers all day and I my handwriting is horrible unless I really spend the time and effort to write everything in detail (and I usually don't have the time with so many deadlines). I also have a strange signature that has occassionally been on the receiving end of jokes. I have to sign my name to 100+ checks a week plus 100's of other documents and I had to figure out a way to do it fast and efficiently. Years ago, I changed the way I signed my name so it probably takes less than 2 seconds to sign my first and last name but totally illegible. I now have a better understanding as to why most celebrity autographs are almost impossible to read.

[LonnieFisher]

I do, because it just feels right.

[wolfie]

This is common right across Europe and is so it is not mistaken for a one.

[david_b]

This is common right across Europe and is so it is not mistaken for a one.

Exactly right. If you live in Europe, you'll see this is how a '7' is written.

Incursive writing there typically adds a slightly horizontal line at the top of a '1'.., just making it more pronounced. The mid-high horizontal line added to the '7' provides clarity to what the number represents.

I still write it that way to this day..

david_b

[RG]

when I was in grade school and even high school ... we'd get our math marked wrong if we made our 7's with a line through them ... I always liked the slash due to knowing for sure it was a 7 but was told it was the wrong way to write 7 for so long I don't use the slash.

[jwyblejr]

I think it's for clarification that it's a 7 and not a 2. Depends on how lazy someone's hand writing is. I've seen people put a slash (/) in a 0 (zero) so it's not confused with an O, the letter.

I don't have that problem. What I do have is sometimes my 2s look like Zs and my Ss look like 5s.

[TrueDave]

when I was in grade school and even high school ... we'd get our math marked wrong if we made our 7's with a line through them ... I always liked the slash due to knowing for sure it was a 7 but was told it was the wrong way to write 7 for so long I don't use the slash.

I figured it was a culture thing that got imported to North America.

I used to write in the British spellings for stuff in High School and got it marked wrong. I was in a big Clive barker phase and read a lot of DR who UK mags.

Teachers do not like uppity kids. Mine told me" You're in America , do our way! " And I still got marked wrong, for being more cosmopolitan than my Philistine professors

[Doc]

This is common right across Europe and is so it is not mistaken for a one.

[UnderdogDJLSW]

I like to mix it up in general. I'll write a 3 for a 1 and a 4 for a 7 so they do not get confused

[Meule]

This is common right across Europe and is so it is not mistaken for a one.

It sure is