IDN Homograph Checker
Check whether a domain uses lookalike letters from other alphabets to imitate a real brand.
| As shown to people | |
| Punycode (what DNS uses) | |
| Looks like |
| Label | Punycode | Scripts | Lookalike characters |
|---|---|---|---|
|
IDN Homograph Checker
Some letters in other alphabets look identical to Latin ones: the Cyrillic "а" and the Latin "a" are indistinguishable in most fonts. Attackers register domains like "аpple.com" written with such letters to trick people. This checker decodes the punycode (xn--) form, shows which alphabet each part of the name uses, flags lookalike characters and mixed scripts, and shows the plain-Latin domain the name could be imitating.
How to use IDN Homograph Checker
- Paste the domain or link you want to check. xn-- forms and Unicode forms both work.
- Read the verdict and the table of labels, alphabets and lookalike characters.
- If the name imitates a brand, do not enter any passwords or payment details on that site.
When it comes in handy
- Checking a suspicious link from an email or message.
- Monitoring lookalike registrations of your own brand.
- Security awareness training.
Frequently asked questions
- Are all non-Latin domains dangerous?
- No. Domains fully in one script, such as a Russian domain in Cyrillic, are normal. The risk is in mixing scripts or using lookalikes to imitate a Latin name.
- Don't browsers protect against this?
- Partly. Chrome and Firefox show the xn-- form for many mixed-script names, but whole-script lookalikes can still get through, and emails and apps may display the Unicode form.