Kaomoji & Lenny Faces
Kaomoji are Japanese text faces built from punctuation and symbols, such as (｡♥‿♥｡) and ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ. Tap a face to copy it.
Tap once to copy a single item. It is added to the tray too, so you can build a combination.
Kaomoji Face Builder
Every kaomoji is built from parts: arms, cheeks, eyes, a mouth and an extra. Mix them to make your own face, or press Random face for a surprise. Each part is a separate character, so the result pastes anywhere.
Kaomoji vs. Emoticons vs. Emoji
Western emoticons such as :-) are read sideways. Kaomoji (顔文字, "face characters") are read upright and focus on the eyes, such as (^_^). Emoji are single pictures drawn by your phone.
The Anatomy of a Kaomoji
Kaomoji are built in layers, just like the face builder above. Watch one grow.
Famous Kaomoji and What They Mean
Some faces have become internet shorthand. Tap one to copy it.
How Long Is a Kaomoji?
Kaomoji look small but use several characters. Count them before you put one in a short bio or name.
Where Kaomoji Work
Most kaomoji use common symbols that every modern phone shows. Pick an app.
Kaomoji & Lenny Faces FAQs
Why is a backslash missing from my shrug?
Some apps treat \ as an escape character and delete it, so type 2 backslashes: ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯.
Do kaomoji work in usernames?
Most games reject the symbols in kaomoji, but bios, chat and captions accept them.
What does kaomoji mean?
Kaomoji (顔文字) is Japanese for "face characters": kao means face and moji means characters.
How do I make my own kaomoji?
Use the face builder above: pick arms, cheeks, eyes, a mouth and an extra, then copy your face.
What is the difference between kaomoji and emoji?
Kaomoji are built from several text characters, while an emoji is 1 picture character drawn by your device.
What does ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) mean?
The Lenny face means a cheeky or suggestive grin, often used as a wink at a double meaning.
Related tools
Browse every tool in Cute & Aesthetic or go back to the Fancy Text Generator.