What cursed text is
Cursed text looks as if the letters are breaking apart, with marks crawling up and down the page:
T̴h̷i̶s̵ ̷i̴s̶ ̵c̷u̸r̶s̴e̷d̵
It is also known as Zalgo text, after an internet horror meme from the 2000s in which a creature called Zalgo corrupts everything it touches. The effect has since become a general style for anything meant to look creepy, glitched or chaotic.
How to make cursed text
- Type or paste your words into the Normal text box.
- Drag the How cursed slider. Low values add a light glitch. High values bury the letters.
- Choose where the marks go: Above, Through, Below or any mix.
- Press New variation until you like the look. The marks are random each time.
- Press Copy and paste it where you want it.
How it works
Unicode contains a set of “combining” characters. On their own they are accents and symbols such as ´ or ¨. Placed after a letter, they attach to it. That is how “e” plus an acute accent becomes “é”.
Nothing stops you from adding a second mark, or a twentieth. Each one stacks on the last. The generator picks marks at random from three groups:
- marks that sit above the letter
- marks that strike through the middle
- marks that hang below
The intensity setting controls how many are added to each letter.
Where you can use it
Because cursed text is made of standard characters, it can be pasted into most places that accept text:
- Discord messages, nicknames and server names
- Instagram and TikTok bios, captions and comments
- X posts and display names
- YouTube comments and video titles
- Game chats, usernames and Steam profiles
- Halloween invitations and horror story titles
Some platforms trim the effect. Apps that allow only one line of height will cut off the marks, and some remove combining characters from usernames. If the result looks plain after pasting, try a lower intensity, or keep only the Through marks, which stay within the line.
Use it with care
Heavy cursed text can overflow its line and cover nearby messages, which other people may find annoying, and some communities remove it. It is also unreadable to screen readers, which announce each mark separately or skip the text. Keep important information in normal text and save the cursed version for decoration.
Looking for a lighter effect?
- Use only Through marks at a low setting for a clean strikethrough glitch.
- Try the Discord fonts generator for bold, script and gothic letters.
- Combine cursed text with alternating case for extra chaos.