How to convert text to leetspeak
Type or paste text into Input text and choose a direction. The converter can replace letters with digits or symbols, or turn those substitutes back into letters. Auto-detect picks a direction from the input; Custom lets you define the substitutions. During decoding, the result includes a warning when one substitute can represent several letters.
- Type or paste text into
Input text, or selectUploadto load a text file. - Select
Auto-detect,Text → Leetspeak, orLeetspeak → TextunderDirection. - Select
Conservative (4 3 1 0 5 7),Aggressive (adds 8 9 # ( | $ + 2), orCustomunderSubstitution set. - Review the result, then select
CopyorDownload resultwhen those controls become available.
What Conservative and Aggressive change
Conservative (4 3 1 0 5 7) maps a, e, i, o, s, and t to one substitute each. For example:
leet
l337Aggressive (adds 8 9 # ( | $ + 2) also maps b, c, g, h, l, and z. It has alternate substitutes for c, i, l, s, and t. Encoding uses the first substitute listed for each letter. Digits, symbols, spaces, punctuation, and letters without an active rule stay unchanged.
How Auto-detect chooses a direction
Auto-detect removes spaces from its count and checks how many remaining characters match a one-character substitute in the active set. It decodes when that share is above 15%; otherwise, it encodes. Select a direction yourself when the input could be read either way.
For a decode, the converter writes the first letter in its sorted list and shows the other possible readings in the warning below the result. With the Aggressive set, 1 can represent i or l. Custom rules can create other overlaps. If a custom substitute has several characters, the converter checks it before a shorter substitute that starts with the same text.
A mapped uppercase letter produces the same digit or symbol as its lowercase counterpart. An unmapped letter keeps its case. Punctuation, spaces, and other unchanged characters pass through.
Examples for the leetspeak converter
- To make a display name variant, enter the name in
Input text, chooseText → Leetspeak, and selectCopy. - To inspect an ambiguous substitute, choose
Leetspeak → Text, use the Aggressive set, and enter text containing1. - To compare custom spellings, choose
Customand enter a rule such ass=5,$. Encoding uses5; decoding recognises both substitutes.
When another text converter fits
Use this page for look-alike letter substitutions. The Text Code Converter handles decimal, hexadecimal, binary, or octal character codes. The Caesar Cipher Converter handles a letter shift or ROT13, while the Pig Latin Translator changes text into Pig Latin. The Text Conversion Tools page lists these converters with the other text transformations.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert text to leetspeak?
Type or paste text, choose Text → Leetspeak, and select a substitution set. The result updates as you edit the input.
How do I decode leetspeak to text?
Select Leetspeak → Text and enter the leetspeak input. The converter chooses the first reading for an ambiguous substitute and displays the alternatives in a warning.
Can I make custom leetspeak rules?
Yes. Select Custom and enter one rule per line in the form letter=substitute[,substitute]. Blank lines and invalid lines are ignored.
Does the leetspeak converter upload my text?
No. The conversion code runs in your browser, and this page does not send the input text in a network request.