What is Glitch / Zalgo Text?
Glitch text (also called Zalgo text) uses Unicode combining diacritics and overlay characters to create a visually corrupted, glitching effect. Each letter gets overlaid with random symbols above and below it, creating an overflowing, distorted look that resembles digital corruption or horror movie text.
These are real Unicode characters — not images — so they copy and paste into any text field that supports Unicode, including social media bios, Discord, and messaging apps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is glitch text?
Glitch text uses Unicode combining characters to add random diacritics and overlay symbols above, below, and through each letter — creating a distorted, glitched, or "Zalgo" appearance.
What is Zalgo text?
Zalgo text (named after an internet horror meme) uses combining Unicode characters to create chaotic, overflowing text that looks corrupted or glitching. It is the same as glitch text — extremely popular in horror and creepypasta communities.
Does glitch / Zalgo text work on Discord?
Yes! Discord renders Unicode combining characters, so glitch and Zalgo text displays correctly in usernames, bios, and messages. It is very popular in horror-themed Discord servers.
Does glitch text work on Instagram?
Unicode glitch text renders in Instagram bios and captions. It is especially popular for dark aesthetic, horror, and edgy profiles. Some very heavy Zalgo may be truncated due to character limits.
Is glitch text safe to use everywhere?
Glitch text uses standard Unicode combining characters. However, very heavy Zalgo text can cause display issues in some apps by overflowing into adjacent lines. Use moderate amounts for best compatibility.