Glitch Text, Built From Randomized Combining Marks
Zalgo (or "glitch") text is created by stacking Unicode combining characters — small diacritical marks like accents, tildes, and dots — above, below, and through your normal letters. Because Unicode allows many combining marks on a single base character, piling on enough of them makes the text appear to break out of its normal line height.
This tool draws each mark randomly from a curated set of 111 verified Unicode combining characters, so no two results look exactly alike — reload with the same text and you'll get a different glitch pattern every time. The output is plain Unicode text, not an image, so it copies and pastes anywhere Unicode is supported.
How does the intensity slider work?
Every character always gets at least one mark from each of three categories — marks that sit above the letter, marks that sit below it, and marks that overlay through it — so even the lowest intensity produces a visible effect. Moving the slider higher raises the random range each category draws from, so higher settings pile on more marks per character on average, producing a heavier, more chaotic result. Because the count is randomized within that range rather than fixed, two characters at the same intensity can still end up looking a little different from each other.
Is the glitch effect exactly random, or does it follow a pattern?
It's genuinely randomized using your browser's built-in random number generator — the same approach used elsewhere on this site for tools like the Random Number Generator. This isn't cryptographically secure randomness, which doesn't matter here since the goal is a varied visual effect, not security. Every mark is still drawn only from the same verified, curated pool of Unicode combining characters, so the result always stays within the classic Zalgo look rather than including unrelated symbols.
Where can I use glitch text?
Anywhere that supports Unicode, including Discord, Twitter/X, Instagram bios, Facebook posts, Reddit, Tumblr, and many online games. It's commonly used for creepypasta-style posts, horror-themed content, and gaming usernames. Some platforms may strip or limit combining characters, so the effect can vary by app.
Will glitch text affect searchability or accessibility?
Yes. Because glitch text layers dozens of extra combining characters onto each letter, search engines and text search functions won't match it against normal keywords, and screen readers may struggle to interpret it. Use glitch text for decorative purposes rather than for content that needs to be searchable, indexable, or accessible.
Related tools
- Stacked Text Generator — a controlled, single-mark-per-letter combining-character effect.
- Random Number Generator — the same honest, non-cryptographic randomness used here.
- Mirror Text Generator — flips your text into horizontally mirrored writing.
Last reviewed: August 2026