👁 Zalgo Text

Zalgo Text Generator

Transform normal text into glitchy, corrupted, creepy Zalgo text. Adjust intensity and position. Copy and paste anywhere.

Your Text

Zalgo Output

Intensity

Position

Zalgo Text Examples

About Zalgo Text

Zalgo text is created by stacking Unicode combining diacritical marks above and below regular characters. Combining marks (Unicode block U+0300–U+036F) were designed for legitimate use in languages like Vietnamese, Arabic, and Greek — where accent marks and vowel diacritics attach to base letters. Zalgo text exploits this system by layering dozens of these marks on every character, creating the distinctive cascading, glitchy appearance.

The name "Zalgo" comes from a 2004 internet meme by artist David Thorpe, which used corrupted text aesthetics to create a creepy, "reality is breaking" effect. The style spread through forums, Reddit, and Discord, becoming a go-to aesthetic for horror content, creepypasta, Halloween posts, and ironic "cursed" humor. The glitch text effect was one of the earliest internet-native aesthetic movements — predating the term "aesthetic" being applied to online visual styles.

Unlike fancy text generators that use different Unicode characters, Zalgo text uses the same base characters as your input — it just adds combining marks. This means the underlying text is still readable if the combining marks are stripped out, and the text passes most platform filters since each character is technically valid Unicode. Most messaging apps and social platforms support Zalgo text, though extreme intensities may cause rendering issues on older devices.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Zalgo text and how does it work?

Zalgo text stacks Unicode combining diacritical marks (U+0300–U+036F range) above and below each character in your text. These combining marks were designed for language accents and diacritics, but Zalgo text applies them in large quantities to every character, creating a visual overflow effect. The number of marks per character is controlled by the intensity setting — Mini uses 1–2 marks, Normal uses 3–6, and Maxi uses 8–15+.

Where can I use Zalgo text?

Zalgo text works in Discord messages and usernames, Reddit posts and comments, Twitter/X posts, Facebook posts, Instagram captions (with limitations), WhatsApp messages, and most web forums. Some platforms collapse excessive combining marks for accessibility or rendering performance — if Zalgo looks different after pasting, try a lower intensity setting.

Does Zalgo text work in usernames?

It depends on the platform. Discord allows combining marks in nicknames (not usernames). Reddit allows it in posts and comments but not usernames. Most gaming platforms restrict combining marks in usernames because they cause display issues in leaderboards and chat. Mini intensity (1–2 marks per character) is most likely to work in username fields while still looking visibly "corrupted."

Can I reverse Zalgo text back to normal?

Yes — Zalgo text can be "de-Zalgoed" by stripping all combining Unicode characters (U+0300–U+036F) from the string. The base characters remain intact since Zalgo only adds marks on top, never changes the underlying letters. If you need to reverse specific Zalgo text, copy it into a text editor and use find-replace with a regex like [\u0300-\u036f] replaced with nothing.

Is Zalgo text the same as glitch text?

Zalgo text is one type of glitch text. The broader "glitch text" category includes: Zalgo (combining marks), strikethrough text (U+0336 combining), vaporwave/fullwidth text (different Unicode character set), and CSS-animated glitch effects for web use. Zalgo is the most widely recognized because the cascading marks above and below text are unique and impossible to replicate with any other Unicode technique.