What the strikethrough text generator does
Strikethrough text has a horizontal line through every letter, like words crossed out on paper. In word processors you press a button to get it, but most social apps and name fields have no formatting at all. The strikethrough text generator solves that by building the line into the text itself.
It adds a special Unicode character, the combining long stroke overlay, after every letter. That mark draws a line through the character before it. Because the line is part of the text, it survives copy and paste into bios, comments, usernames and messages.
Here is an example. o̶l̶d̶ ̶p̶r̶i̶c̶e̶
How to use it
- Type or paste your text into the box.
- The featured strikethrough result appears right away.
- Tap Copy and paste it where you want it.
- Scroll the list for slashed, wavy, underlined and double underlined versions of the same text.
Strikethrough styles you can copy
| Style | Mark used | Looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Strikethrough | Long stroke overlay | A straight line through the middle |
| Slashed | Long solidus overlay | A diagonal slash through each letter |
| Wavy strike | Tilde overlay | A wavy line through the middle |
| Underline | Low line | A line under each letter |
| Double underline | Double low line | Two lines under each letter |
Our methodology page explains how these line marks work.
Popular uses for crossed out text
- Jokes and corrections. Cross out the word you were going to say and write the polite one next to it.
- Sales and prices. Show an old price crossed out next to a new one in a post or listing.
- To do lists. Mark tasks as done in notes apps that lack formatting.
- Bios. A struck through word adds humor or a sense of change to a profile.
- Discord names. Markdown does not work in names, but Unicode strikethrough does.
Our guides on how to strikethrough on Discord and how to cross out text cover built in options for Word, Google Docs, iPhone notes and more.
Unicode strikethrough compared with built in formatting
Many apps have their own strikethrough feature. Here is when to use which.
| Where | Built in option | Unicode from the generator |
|---|---|---|
| Discord messages | Two tildes around the text | Works too |
| Discord About Me | Two tildes around the text | Works too |
| Discord names and nicknames | Not available | Works |
| One tilde around the text | Works too | |
| Instagram and TikTok | Not available | Works |
| Word and Google Docs | Strikethrough button or shortcut | Works, but built in is cleaner |
| Usernames in games | Rarely available | Often works, depends on the game |
Built in formatting is better for long documents because it is easy to remove and screen readers understand it. Unicode strikethrough is better anywhere formatting is missing.
Tips for clean strikethrough
Check the gaps. On some devices the line looks broken between letters. The wavy strike and slashed styles hide this better.
Watch the length. Every line mark counts as a character, so strikethrough text is about twice as long as it looks. The counter under the result shows how close you are to common limits like 32 characters for Discord nicknames.
Keep emoji outside. A line mark after an emoji may not draw a line through it. Strike the words and leave emoji plain.
Accessibility
Screen readers may read each mark aloud or spell the words letter by letter. If something matters, such as a price or a date, write it in plain text as well.
Why strikethrough text uses so many characters
Unicode strikethrough adds one line mark after every character, including spaces. A five letter word therefore becomes ten characters, and a 40 character sentence becomes 80. That matters on platforms with strict limits.
| Plain text | Plain length | With strikethrough |
|---|---|---|
| sold | 4 | 8 |
| old price | 9 | 18 |
| a 40 character sentence | 40 | 80 |
The counter under the featured result always shows the length of the styled text, so you can see exactly how much room you have left before you paste.
Strikethrough for sales and listings
Crossed out prices are one of the most common uses of strikethrough text. A clear sales post usually shows the old price crossed out, then the new price in plain or bold text right after it. Keep the new price plain so everyone, including people using screen readers, can read it. If you want the new price to stand out, use the bold text generator for that part only.
Good manners with crossed out text
Strikethrough can be playful, but it can also look like you are hiding something. In reviews, comments and community posts, it is usually best to cross out a mistake and add the correction, rather than deleting it. That shows readers what changed. In jokes, a crossed out word followed by a polite replacement is a classic way to show what you really meant without saying it outright.
Strikethrough on iPhone and Android
On a phone, the generator works the same way as on a computer. Type your text, tap Copy, then tap and hold in the app where you want it and choose Paste. Some apps, such as Notes on iPhone and Google Docs on Android, also have their own strikethrough button in the formatting menu, which gives a cleaner line for documents. For bios, captions and chats without formatting, Unicode strikethrough is the only option.
Privacy
The generator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to FacePalm Lab or anyone else.