The @ sign usually means “at” when addressing someone in a note, email, text, or online post. It’s commonly used to tag or mention a person, like writing @Alex to direct the message to Alex.

What it means

  • In informal writing, @ often stands in for the word “at.”
  • In emails, it separates the username from the domain, like name @ example.com.
  • On social platforms, it can point to or mention a specific person so they get notified.

In a note

If you’re writing a note to someone, @ before their name usually means you’re addressing that person directly or calling them out for attention. It is more common in digital notes or chats than in formal letters.

Example

  • “Please see this, @Sam.”
  • Read aloud, that’s basically “Please see this, Sam.”

TL;DR: @ usually means “at,” and in a note it often marks the person you’re addressing directly.