Start a message line with # and a space for a big header, ## for medium, ### for smaller, and -# for subtext. That's for messages — a username can't be made bigger, so for a name that stands out, paste a Unicode font instead.
To make big text in a message, start a new line with a hash and a space: # Big is the largest header, ## Medium is smaller, and ### Small is smaller still. Add -# before a line for subtext (smaller and greyer). The space after the hash is required, and it only works at the start of a line. This is built-in markdown — free, no Nitro, desktop, web, and mobile. Headers only work inside messages, though: a username, display name, or channel renders at a fixed size and can't be enlarged, so to make a name stand out you paste a Unicode font instead.
# Header, ## , ### , -# subtext · a standout name → paste a Unicode font.
Discord's markdown added true headers. Put the marker at the very start of a line, always followed by a space:
# Heading → the biggest header (H1)## Heading → medium header (H2)### Heading → smaller header (H3)-# Subtext → smaller, greyer subtextBecause a header takes a whole line, you can stack a big title over small print — a # header on one line and a -# caption on the next gives a clean title-and-description layout for announcements. A few gotchas: the space after the hash is mandatory (#Heading stays plain text), headers only work at line start (not mid-sentence), and they render identically on desktop, web, and mobile with no Nitro. Bold and other inline styles still work inside a header line.
People often search for "big text" because they want a name that pops — a display name, a channel, a server title. Headers can't do that: markdown is message-only, and Discord renders every name and channel at a fixed size, so there's no way to make the letters literally bigger. What you can do is make them look distinct with a Unicode font:
They're the same point size as normal text, but the extra weight and unusual shapes make a name stand out far more than plain letters — and, unlike headers, they work in the exact fields where markdown does nothing. No Nitro required; it's just text you copy and paste.
Type your text, copy a bold or fancy version, and paste it into your display name, a channel, or your status — free, no sign-up, no Nitro.
Open the Discord Font Generator →Related: for the full set of Discord markdown (bold, underline, colored text, spoilers, lists) see Discord text formatting explained. Also handy: how to make bold text in Discord and how to underline in Discord. Wondering if you have to pay? See do you need Nitro for Discord fonts. To build a standout name, use the Discord Fonts generator.
Start a new line with a hash and a space, then your text. # Text is the biggest header, ## Text is medium, and ### Text is a smaller header. The space after the hash is required, and it only works at the start of a line. This is built-in markdown, free, no Nitro, and works on desktop, web, and mobile.
A dash, a hash, and a space at the start of a line — -# Text — makes subtext, which renders smaller and greyer than normal text. It is the opposite of a header and is useful for captions or fine print under a big title.
No. Headers are markdown and only work inside messages. Usernames, display names, channel names, and status render at a fixed size, and markdown does nothing there. To make a name stand out where you cannot make it bigger, paste a Unicode font — bold or fancy characters that look distinct even though they are the same size.
Yes. Type the hash and a space at the start of a line in the mobile app exactly as on desktop. The header renders the same way. There is no separate button for it, so type the markdown manually.
No. Headers and subtext are free built-in markdown. Unicode fonts for a standout name are just characters you paste, so they also work without Nitro. Nitro is unrelated to text size or formatting.