Why I and l look the same
In many sans-serif fonts (Arial, Helvetica, Calibri, system fonts on phones) a capital I and a lowercase l are both a plain vertical stroke. Add the digit 1 and the pipe |, and it's easy to mistype a Wi-Fi password, licence key or username. This checker labels every character and shows it in a serif font, where the shapes differ.
Spotting phishing look-alikes
Scammers register domains that swap Latin letters for identical-looking Cyrillic or Greek ones. The Cyrillic "а" in "раypal.com" looks exactly like "a". These homoglyph attacks are why the checker flags non-Latin letters with ⚠️. If a link you didn't expect contains one, don't log in. The NCSC advises reporting suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Developers can see full code points in the character identifier.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell capital I from lowercase l?
Paste the text here. Each character is labelled, for example "Latin capital I" or "Latin small L".
What is a homoglyph?
A character that looks like another, such as Cyrillic "а" and Latin "a". They are used in phishing links.
How to use the I or l Checker
- Paste or type your text into the box.
- Watch the counts and results update live.
- Compare them with the limits in the chart below.
- Edit until your text fits, then copy it out.
Why use this I or l Checker
100% in your browser
Nothing you enter is uploaded or stored.
Instant results
Updates as you type, no waiting.
Mobile friendly
Works on phones, tablets and desktops.
Light & dark mode
Follows your mfaysal.com theme.
Free, no account
No sign-up, no limits, no watermark.
Explained
Formulas, tables and sources on the page.
I or l Checker: chart and reference data
Source: UCAS, YouTube Help, Instagram Help, 3GPP TS 23.038 (SMS)
| Where | Limit | Roughly in words* |
|---|---|---|
| SMS (GSM-7, one part) | 160 characters | ≈ 27 |
| X / Twitter post | 280 characters | ≈ 47 |
| YouTube title | 100 characters | ≈ 17 |
| Instagram caption | 2,200 characters | ≈ 367 |
| LinkedIn post | 3,000 characters | ≈ 500 |
| UCAS personal statement | 4,000 characters | ≈ 667 |
* English averages about 4.7 letters per word plus a space, so roughly 6 characters per word. Your text may differ.
I or l Checker compared with the alternatives
| Feature | This tool | Word processor | Typical ad-heavy site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Opens instantly | Yes | No (app launch) | Often slow |
| Text stays on your device | Yes | Depends (cloud docs) | Not always |
| Live count while typing | Yes | Yes | Varies |
| Free, no account | Yes | Licence or account | Often sign-up prompts |
Who uses it in the UK
- UCAS personal statements and job applications
- Social posts, SMS and ads with strict limits
- Essays and coursework word targets
- SEO titles and meta descriptions
More questions
Does it count emoji correctly?
Yes, the tool counts user-perceived characters where it matters, so most emoji count as one character even though they use several bytes behind the scenes.
Is my text private?
Yes. All processing happens in your browser with JavaScript. Nothing you type or paste is sent to a server or stored.
Does it work with Welsh or other languages?
Yes. The tool works with any Unicode text, including Welsh accents such as ŵ and ŷ, and non-Latin scripts.
Why do different tools give slightly different counts?
Tools disagree on edge cases such as hyphenated words, numbers, URLs and line breaks. This tool explains its rules on the page so you know what is counted.
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Related free tools
Note: This free tool runs entirely in your browser. No data is sent or stored. Results are for information only.