Zalgo Glitch Text Generator — Creepy / Cursed Unicode

Generate distorted Zalgo text. Private by design—everything runs locally in your browser.

Text & Settings

Preview

Your Zalgo text will appear here…

Tip: Use the sliders live—output updates as you type or adjust settings. Ctrl/Cmd + K focuses the text box.

What Is Zalgo (Glitch / Cursed) Text?

Zalgo text—also called glitch text or cursed text—uses stacks of Unicode combining characters above, through, and below normal letters to create a distorted, unsettling look. It’s popular for memes, horror aesthetics, and stylized social posts.

How It Works

Combining characters don’t occupy their own cell; they modify the character before them. By layering many marks, letters appear to “bleed” vertically. This generator programmatically adds those marks so you can control the intensity of the effect.

Controls Explained

  • Chaos level: Probability of adding combining marks to each character. Higher = more distortion.
  • Max vertical stack: Upper limit on how many marks can stack above/below a character.
  • Skip spaces: Avoids decorating spaces for better legibility and cleaner word shapes.

Where It Works (and Where It Might Not)

Most modern browsers and apps display combining characters correctly. Some platforms sanitize or strip them, which can reduce the effect. If your output looks “normal,” the site/app is likely removing combining marks.

Accessibility & Etiquette

  • Use Zalgo sparingly—heavy distortion can be difficult for AT and low-vision users.
  • Provide a plain-text alternative when the message must be readable (e.g., captions or alt text).
  • Avoid using Zalgo for long passages, instructions, or anything critical.

Privacy

This tool runs 100% client-side in your browser. Your text isn’t uploaded or stored on a server.

FAQ – quick answers
  • Can I paste it anywhere? Yes, you can copy/paste like normal text. Some sites may remove the effect.
  • How do I “uncurse” text? Remove combining marks (Unicode category \p{M}) using a text cleaner/normalizer.
  • Why are some letters extra tall? They have more stacked combining marks based on your chaos/stack settings.

Note: Display and copy/paste behavior can vary by platform, font, and input method editor (IME).

5 Fun Facts about Zalgo & Glitch Text

Zalgo was a meme first

The “HE COMES” copypasta on Something Awful (mid-2000s) popularised Zalgo—horror text built from stacked combining marks.

Origins

Combining marks are legit

They’re meant for accents (á, ō). Zalgo just abuses them by piling dozens above, through, and below each letter.

Unicode play

Platforms “exorcise” it

Many chat apps sanitize combining marks for stability. If your cursed text looks normal, the platform scrubbed it.

Sanitised

Screen readers suffer

AT can stutter or skip when hundreds of marks stack on a character. Always keep a clean version for accessibility.

A11y warning

Fonts change the chaos

Combining marks position differently per font. Swap fonts and your Zalgo can shift from subtle shimmer to total eclipse.

Font vibes

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