How it works
- Type a short word or a name. Long passages become very hard to read.
- Pick mini, normal or maximum, and tick Up, Middle, Down, or any mix.
- Press Copy. Press Regenerate if you want a different pattern of the same strength.
Glitch text and zalgo text
Glitch text and zalgo text are two names for the same technique. Both add combining marks onto letters you already typed, so the line looks corrupted. The letters are not swapped for a glitch font.
People say glitch when they want that corrupted look, and zalgo when they mean a heavy stack of the same marks. This page makes both. There is no second generator for the other name.
What the marks actually are
Zalgo text is built from combining marks in the range U+0300 to U+036F. A mark does not take a slot of its own on the line. It hangs off the character before it, which is why the letters look corrupted rather than replaced.
Up draws marks over the letter, Middle draws strokes through it, and Down draws marks under it. Spaces and line breaks are left clean so the words still break in the same places.
How heavy to make it
Mini adds a couple of marks, enough for a nickname or a joke. Normal is the usual glitch look. Maximum uses the full cap of 12 marks on each character, which is where lines start to collide.
Regenerate shuffles which marks are chosen without changing how many there are. The same settings and the same text can look different each time you press it.
Where people paste it
People drop a word of it into a username decoration, a meme reply, a horror caption or a profile bio. A single word is usually the limit of what a reader will bother to decode. If that is still too much, smaller letters with fewer marks are easier to read, and every other Unicode style lives on the hub.
Messages, comments and bios are the usual spots. A whole paragraph is rarely worth it, because the reader has to guess the letters.
What to watch for
- Heavy zalgo overlaps the lines above and below it. The box on this page clips that overflow so the rest of the page stays readable. The app you paste into may not.
- Some sites strip combining marks or keep only a few of them, so the glitch can vanish or shrink after you post.
- Screen readers may read these marks badly, spell the word, or skip it. Do not use zalgo for important information, and do not make it the only copy of a link, a name or an address.
- The count under the result includes every mark. A short word can become much longer, which you can also check in the character counter before you paste.
More text styles
Frequently asked questions
What is zalgo text?
It is ordinary letters with combining marks stacked on them, so the line looks glitched. The letters themselves are not a special font.
Is glitch text different from zalgo text?
No. Both are combining marks stacked on ordinary letters, and glitch is the name for the look while zalgo usually means a heavier stack. The intensity control changes the amount, not the method.
How do I make the glitch heavier or lighter?
Choose mini, normal or maximum. Maximum stops at 12 marks per character so the text cannot grow without a limit.
Why does zalgo overlap other lines?
The marks are drawn outside the letter's normal height. A font may let them cover the line above or below, which is why heavy settings are hard to read.
Will the marks survive when I paste them?
It depends on the font and the platform. Some apps draw them, some drop them, and some keep only a few.
Can a screen reader read zalgo text?
Often poorly. It may announce the marks, spell the letters, or skip the word, so keep anything important in plain text beside it.