Free Toolkit

Homoglyph DetectorDetect look-alike characters (homoglyphs) from different Unicode scripts.

Homoglyph Detector illustration
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Homoglyph Detector

Detect look-alike characters (homoglyphs) from different Unicode scripts.

How to Use
1

Paste Text

Enter text that may contain look-alike characters from foreign scripts.

2

View Results

See detected homoglyphs with their Unicode code points and what they look like.

3

Get Normalized Text

Copy the normalized text with homoglyphs replaced by their ASCII equivalents.

What Is Homoglyph Detector?

A homoglyph detector identifies characters that visually resemble ASCII characters but are actually from different Unicode scripts (primarily Cyrillic, Greek, and other alphabets). For example, Cyrillic "а" (U+0430) looks identical to Latin "a" (U+0061) but is a completely different character. These look-alike characters (homoglyphs) can be used maliciously in phishing URLs, fake domain names, and text spoofing attacks. This tool scans text for such characters and provides a cleaned version with all homoglyphs replaced by their ASCII equivalents.

Why Use Our Homoglyph Detector?

  • Detects characters from Cyrillic, Greek, and other scripts that look like ASCII
  • Shows exact Unicode code point and visual equivalent for each homoglyph
  • Provides normalized text with homoglyphs replaced
  • Essential for security analysis and phishing detection
  • Helps prevent IDN homograph attacks

Common Use Cases

Phishing Detection

Check URLs and domain names for Cyrillic or Greek characters disguised as Latin letters.

Content Security

Verify user-generated content doesn't contain deceptive look-alike characters.

Data Validation

Ensure database entries use consistent character sets without mixed-script homoglyphs.

Identity Verification

Check usernames and identifiers for mixed-script characters that could cause impersonation.

Technical Guide

The detector maintains a mapping of known confusable Unicode characters to their ASCII equivalents. It scans each character against this mapping using a reverse lookup Map. Detected homoglyphs are logged with their position, the original character, its Unicode code point (U+XXXX format), and the ASCII character it resembles. The normalized output replaces each homoglyph with its ASCII equivalent. The mapping covers Cyrillic characters that resemble Latin letters (а→a, с→c, е→e, о→o, р→p), common Greek confusables, and accented Latin variants that could be confused with basic ASCII.

Tips & Best Practices

  • 1
    Cyrillic "а" and Latin "a" look identical but are different Unicode characters
  • 2
    IDN homograph attacks use look-alike characters in domain names (аpple.com vs apple.com)
  • 3
    Always check suspicious URLs for mixed-script characters
  • 4
    Text that looks normal may contain homoglyphs from copy-pasting foreign sources
  • 5
    Some text editors have "show Unicode" modes that can reveal these characters

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Frequently Asked Questions

QWhat is a homoglyph?
A homoglyph is a character from one script that visually resembles a character from another script. Latin "a" and Cyrillic "а" look the same but have different Unicode code points.
QHow are homoglyphs used in phishing?
Attackers register domains using Cyrillic look-alikes (like "аpple.com" with Cyrillic "а") that appear identical to legitimate domains.
QCan I see the difference between homoglyphs?
Usually not visually. The detector identifies them by checking Unicode code points, which differ even when the visual appearance is identical.
QDoes it detect all possible homoglyphs?
It covers the most common Latin/Cyrillic/Greek confusables. The full Unicode confusables list contains thousands of pairs.
QWhat is an IDN homograph attack?
An Internationalized Domain Name attack using look-alike characters from different scripts to create phishing URLs that appear legitimate.

About Homoglyph Detector

Homoglyph Detector is a free online tool from FreeToolkit.ai. All processing happens directly in your browser — your data never leaves your device. No registration required. No ads. Just fast, reliable tools.