# Why Do Jewish People Write "G-D" When spelling out his name?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-jewish-people-write-g-d-when-spelling-out-his-name/96651>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 3, 2001, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-jewish-people-write-g-d-when-spelling-out-his-name/96651 "2001-12-03T17:20:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![upbhavan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/94ad74/32.png) [@upbhavan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/upbhavan)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-jewish-people-write-g-d-when-spelling-out-his-name/96651/1 "2001-12-03T17:20:07Z")

</div>

Whenever I am reading an article or essay by a person of the jewish faith, they always refer to The Creator as “G-D”.

My guess is that it is out of respect, but what is the story behind it?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-jewish-people-write-g-d-when-spelling-out-his-name/96651/2 "2001-12-03T17:44:13Z")

</div>

[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=100183](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=100183) and [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=94264](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=94264) are just two of the many threads on this. please try the “search” function more often.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-jewish-people-write-g-d-when-spelling-out-his-name/96651/3 "2001-12-03T17:44:40Z")

</div>

[Here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=94264) you go.

and [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=100183).

Zev Steinhardt

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-jewish-people-write-g-d-when-spelling-out-his-name/96651/4 "2001-12-03T17:47:02Z")

</div>

Missed it by less than a minute!

Zev Steinhardt