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Zalgo text generator

Turn any words into cursed glitch text, in six strengths at once.

6
Glitch direction

Your cursed text will appear here.

What is Zalgo text?

Zalgo text, also called cursed text or glitch text, is ordinary writing smothered in tiny marks that climb above the letters, cut through them and drip below them. The name comes from an internet horror meme from the late 2000s, where comic strips slowly "corrupted" as an unspeakable entity called Zalgo took over. Today people use it for spooky usernames, horror-themed posts, Halloween captions and jokes about things going very, very wrong.

How to use the Zalgo generator

  1. Type or paste your text in the box. Results update as you type.
  2. Set the glitch level from 1 (a light shiver) to 15 (total corruption).
  3. Choose directions: marks above the letters, through them, below them, or any mix.
  4. Pick from six results. You get your custom mix plus five ready-made strengths side by side, each with its own Copy button and a character count.
  5. Need it clean again? Paste Zalgo text into the box and press "Remove glitch".

The six strengths

  • Your mix: exactly the level and directions you chose.
  • Whisper: a faint shimmer, perfect for usernames and bios.
  • Cursed: clearly corrupted but still readable, the most popular choice for posts.
  • Haunted halo: marks only rise above the text, like smoke.
  • Dripping: marks only fall below the text, like it's melting.
  • Full chaos: maximum corruption for jokes and horror moments.

How Zalgo text works

Unicode, the system computers use for text, includes combining characters: marks such as accents and tildes that attach to the letter before them. Normally a letter carries one, like the accent on é. Zalgo stacks many of them on every letter. Because they're real Unicode characters, the effect survives copy and paste into almost any app; no special font is needed.

Example at the Cursed strength

i̵̢͓ṱ̷̟ ̶̧̛i̴̯͝s̷͎̾ ̸w̵̰̓a̴̬t̷̥͗c̶̣̈h̵̩i̸̢͘n̴̺g̵̜

Ideas and etiquette

  • Halloween and horror posts: one cursed word in a caption goes a long way.
  • Usernames and bios: use Whisper so your name stays readable and under character limits.
  • Creepypasta and ARGs: a "corrupted" line makes a story feel haunted.
  • Be kind in shared spaces: heavy Zalgo can spill over other messages in some chats and is hard for screen readers. Keep Full chaos for short bursts.

Frequently asked questions

What is Zalgo text?

Zalgo text is normal text covered in Unicode combining marks, the small accents and symbols that normally sit above or below letters. Stacking lots of them makes the text look glitched, cursed or haunted.

Where can I paste Zalgo text?

Anywhere that accepts Unicode text: Discord, TikTok, Instagram bios, X, Reddit, game chats and documents. Some apps trim very heavy Zalgo or limit how tall it can grow, so lighter levels travel better.

Why is my Zalgo text so long?

Every glitch mark counts as a character. A five-letter word at full chaos can become over a hundred characters, so use a lower level for bios and usernames with character limits.

How do I remove Zalgo from text?

Paste the cursed text into the box and click 'Remove glitch'. It strips the combining marks and gives you clean, readable text again.

Is Zalgo text bad for accessibility?

Screen readers can struggle with heavy Zalgo, reading out marks or skipping words. Use it for decoration and jokes, not for important information.

Is the Zalgo generator free?

Yes. It's free, unlimited and runs entirely in your browser.

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