How Binary Represents Text
Computers store text as numbers, and binary is the base language those numbers are written in. This guide explains how letters become bytes and bytes become 0s and 1s.
What is the Text to Binary Converter?
Text to Binary Converter turns every character into its 8-bit binary form, with each byte shown as eight 0s and 1s separated by spaces. It encodes full UTF-8 text, so accented letters and symbols are converted correctly too.
How to use it
- Type or paste your text into the box.
- Click Convert to Binary.
- Copy the binary output.
Worked example
For 'Hi', the output is '01001000 01101001'.
Why is each character 8 bits long?
Eight bits make one byte, the standard unit computers use to store a character. Basic letters and symbols each fit in a single byte, while characters from other scripts use two or more bytes under UTF-8.
Frequently asked questions
What does each group of 8 digits mean?
Each group is one byte: the binary form of one character's code. The letter H, for example, is 01001000.
Does it work with accented letters?
Yes. Characters outside basic ASCII are encoded as multi-byte UTF-8, so each of their bytes appears as its own 8-digit group.