What Is Glitch Text (Zalgo)? How to Make Cursed Text

You've probably seen text that looks like it's melting or possessed — letters covered in stacked marks. That's glitch text, also called Zalgo or "cursed text." Here's what it is, where it works, and how to make your own step by step.

What is Zalgo / glitch text?

It's normal text with lots of combining marks stacked on top of, through, and below each letter. Combining marks are the Unicode characters originally designed to place accents on letters, like é or ñ — and Unicode allows any number of them to attach to a single character. Stack dozens and the marks spill above and below the line, making letters appear to bleed into each other. The key point: it's still real text, not an image, so you can copy it and paste it into any input field.

How to make it (30 seconds)

1. Open the Glitch Text Generator.
2. Type your phrase in the input box — any language works.
3. Pick an intensity: Light, Normal, or Intense.
4. Tap the result to copy it.
5. Paste it where you want. If it breaks, regenerate one intensity level lower.

Tuning the intensity

• Light — for usernames and profiles with character limits. A subtle shiver.
• Normal — a safe pick for comments and chat when you want impact.
• Intense — for Halloween and horror-themed posts. More marks means more "cursed," but also a higher chance of getting trimmed.

Where it works and where it doesn't

When a platform strips or limits combining marks, the decoration disappears and only the base letters remain. Test with a short phrase before using it anywhere important.

Effects that pair well

Spooky isn't the only mood. Go retro with Vaporwave Text, playful with Upside Down Text, or subtle with Small Text. And if you want to change the letterforms themselves, pick a Unicode font at the Font Generator and combine it with glitch.

FAQ

It shows as boxes (□) or question marks when I paste it

That means the device's font can't render some of the combining marks. Lower the intensity to reduce the number of marks, or check again on an up-to-date OS and browser. If it only breaks on the other person's device there's nothing you can do — so for places many people will see, a light intensity is the safe choice.

Will it cause problems with search or my account?

Glitch text is regular Unicode, so it won't get your account penalized by itself. It can, however, make you unsearchable by your plain name — so rather than glitching an entire nickname, use it as an accent in your bio or posts.