Glossary
What the terms around glitch text actually mean.
- Zalgo text
Text with many Unicode combining marks stacked on it to look corrupted or cursed, named after a mid-2000s internet horror meme.
- Unicode combining characters
Unicode code points that attach to the character before them instead of standing alone — the mechanism behind accents, and behind glitch/zalgo text.
- Cursed text
The gaming/meme-culture name for glitch or zalgo text, most often used for Discord, Roblox and Minecraft usernames and chat.
- Corrupted text
The glitch-art framing of the same effect as zalgo/cursed text — Unicode combining marks stacked to look like broken or corrupted data.