When a [character](/glossary/character) is not present in a [font](/glossary/font), and no fallback option is available, the missing character is replaced with a symbol that has come to be known as “tofu” due to its resemblance to a block of tofu.

<figure>

![The phrase “Say no to tofu”, with the “o” in “tofu” replaced with the rectangular tofu symbol.](images/thumbnail.svg)

</figure>

Software for general use, such as web browsers and Microsoft Word, use font fallback systems to make tofu rare. Professional applications, such as Adobe Creative Cloud suite, inform users when a character is not available in the selected font.

Tofu should be avoided at all costs and is arguably worse than no text appearing at all, because it makes the [text](/glossary/text_copy) inaccessible and the author or brand appear unprofessional. The [Noto fonts](https://fonts.google.com/noto/fonts) (“no tofu”) are an attempt to provide fonts for as many [writing systems](/glossary/writing_system) as possible, whether as the intended fonts or as fallback fonts.