Remove accents/diacritics in a string in JavaScript

Question

How do I remove accentuated characters from a string? Especially in IE6, I had something like this:

accentsTidy = function(s){
    var r=s.toLowerCase();
           


        

Answer 1

I slightly modified khel version for one reason: Every regexp parse/replace will cost O(n) operations, where n is number of characters in target text. But, regexp is not exactly what we need. So:

/*
   Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
   you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
   You may obtain a copy of the License at

       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

   Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
   distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
   WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
   See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
   limitations under the License.
*/
    var defaultDiacriticsRemovalMap = [
        {'base':'A', 'letters':'\u0041\u24B6\uFF21\u00C0\u00C1\u00C2\u1EA6\u1EA4\u1EAA\u1EA8\u00C3\u0100\u0102\u1EB0\u1EAE\u1EB4\u1EB2\u0226\u01E0\u00C4\u01DE\u1EA2\u00C5\u01FA\u01CD\u0200\u0202\u1EA0\u1EAC\u1EB6\u1E00\u0104\u023A\u2C6F'},
        {'base':'AA','letters':'\uA732'},
        {'base':'AE','letters':'\u00C6\u01FC\u01E2'},
        {'base':'AO','letters':'\uA734'},
        {'base':'AU','letters':'\uA736'},
        {'base':'AV','letters':'\uA738\uA73A'},
        {'base':'AY','letters':'\uA73C'},
        {'base':'B', 'letters':'\u0042\u24B7\uFF22\u1E02\u1E04\u1E06\u0243\u0182\u0181'},
        {'base':'C', 'letters':'\u0043\u24B8\uFF23\u0106\u0108\u010A\u010C\u00C7\u1E08\u0187\u023B\uA73E'},
        {'base':'D', 'letters':'\u0044\u24B9\uFF24\u1E0A\u010E\u1E0C\u1E10\u1E12\u1E0E\u0110\u018B\u018A\u0189\uA779\u00D0'},
        {'base':'DZ','letters':'\u01F1\u01C4'},
        {'base':'Dz','letters':'\u01F2\u01C5'},
        {'base':'E', 'letters':'\u0045\u24BA\uFF25\u00C8\u00C9\u00CA\u1EC0\u1EBE\u1EC4\u1EC2\u1EBC\u0112\u1E14\u1E16\u0114\u0116\u00CB\u1EBA\u011A\u0204\u0206\u1EB8\u1EC6\u0228\u1E1C\u0118\u1E18\u1E1A\u0190\u018E'},
        {'base':'F', 'letters':'\u0046\u24BB\uFF26\u1E1E\u0191\uA77B'},
        {'base':'G', 'letters':'\u0047\u24BC\uFF27\u01F4\u011C\u1E20\u011E\u0120\u01E6\u0122\u01E4\u0193\uA7A0\uA77D\uA77E'},
        {'base':'H', 'letters':'\u0048\u24BD\uFF28\u0124\u1E22\u1E26\u021E\u1E24\u1E28\u1E2A\u0126\u2C67\u2C75\uA78D'},
        {'base':'I', 'letters':'\u0049\u24BE\uFF29\u00CC\u00CD\u00CE\u0128\u012A\u012C\u0130\u00CF\u1E2E\u1EC8\u01CF\u0208\u020A\u1ECA\u012E\u1E2C\u0197'},
        {'base':'J', 'letters':'\u004A\u24BF\uFF2A\u0134\u0248'},
        {'base':'K', 'letters':'\u004B\u24C0\uFF2B\u1E30\u01E8\u1E32\u0136\u1E34\u0198\u2C69\uA740\uA742\uA744\uA7A2'},
        {'base':'L', 'letters':'\u004C\u24C1\uFF2C\u013F\u0139\u013D\u1E36\u1E38\u013B\u1E3C\u1E3A\u0141\u023D\u2C62\u2C60\uA748\uA746\uA780'},
        {'base':'LJ','letters':'\u01C7'},
        {'base':'Lj','letters':'\u01C8'},
        {'base':'M', 'letters':'\u004D\u24C2\uFF2D\u1E3E\u1E40\u1E42\u2C6E\u019C'},
        {'base':'N', 'letters':'\u004E\u24C3\uFF2E\u01F8\u0143\u00D1\u1E44\u0147\u1E46\u0145\u1E4A\u1E48\u0220\u019D\uA790\uA7A4'},
        {'base':'NJ','letters':'\u01CA'},
        {'base':'Nj','letters':'\u01CB'},
        {'base':'O', 'letters':'\u004F\u24C4\uFF2F\u00D2\u00D3\u00D4\u1ED2\u1ED0\u1ED6\u1ED4\u00D5\u1E4C\u022C\u1E4E\u014C\u1E50\u1E52\u014E\u022E\u0230\u00D6\u022A\u1ECE\u0150\u01D1\u020C\u020E\u01A0\u1EDC\u1EDA\u1EE0\u1EDE\u1EE2\u1ECC\u1ED8\u01EA\u01EC\u00D8\u01FE\u0186\u019F\uA74A\uA74C'},
        {'base':'OI','letters':'\u01A2'},
        {'base':'OO','letters':'\uA74E'},
        {'base':'OU','letters':'\u0222'},
        {'base':'OE','letters':'\u008C\u0152'},
        {'base':'oe','letters':'\u009C\u0153'},
        {'base':'P', 'letters':'\u0050\u24C5\uFF30\u1E54\u1E56\u01A4\u2C63\uA750\uA752\uA754'},
        {'base':'Q', 'letters':'\u0051\u24C6\uFF31\uA756\uA758\u024A'},
        {'base':'R', 'letters':'\u0052\u24C7\uFF32\u0154\u1E58\u0158\u0210\u0212\u1E5A\u1E5C\u0156\u1E5E\u024C\u2C64\uA75A\uA7A6\uA782'},
        {'base':'S', 'letters':'\u0053\u24C8\uFF33\u1E9E\u015A\u1E64\u015C\u1E60\u0160\u1E66\u1E62\u1E68\u0218\u015E\u2C7E\uA7A8\uA784'},
        {'base':'T', 'letters':'\u0054\u24C9\uFF34\u1E6A\u0164\u1E6C\u021A\u0162\u1E70\u1E6E\u0166\u01AC\u01AE\u023E\uA786'},
        {'base':'TZ','letters':'\uA728'},
        {'base':'U', 'letters':'\u0055\u24CA\uFF35\u00D9\u00DA\u00DB\u0168\u1E78\u016A\u1E7A\u016C\u00DC\u01DB\u01D7\u01D5\u01D9\u1EE6\u016E\u0170\u01D3\u0214\u0216\u01AF\u1EEA\u1EE8\u1EEE\u1EEC\u1EF0\u1EE4\u1E72\u0172\u1E76\u1E74\u0244'},
        {'base':'V', 'letters':'\u0056\u24CB\uFF36\u1E7C\u1E7E\u01B2\uA75E\u0245'},
        {'base':'VY','letters':'\uA760'},
        {'base':'W', 'letters':'\u0057\u24CC\uFF37\u1E80\u1E82\u0174\u1E86\u1E84\u1E88\u2C72'},
        {'base':'X', 'letters':'\u0058\u24CD\uFF38\u1E8A\u1E8C'},
        {'base':'Y', 'letters':'\u0059\u24CE\uFF39\u1EF2\u00DD\u0176\u1EF8\u0232\u1E8E\u0178\u1EF6\u1EF4\u01B3\u024E\u1EFE'},
        {'base':'Z', 'letters':'\u005A\u24CF\uFF3A\u0179\u1E90\u017B\u017D\u1E92\u1E94\u01B5\u0224\u2C7F\u2C6B\uA762'},
        {'base':'a', 'letters':'\u0061\u24D0\uFF41\u1E9A\u00E0\u00E1\u00E2\u1EA7\u1EA5\u1EAB\u1EA9\u00E3\u0101\u0103\u1EB1\u1EAF\u1EB5\u1EB3\u0227\u01E1\u00E4\u01DF\u1EA3\u00E5\u01FB\u01CE\u0201\u0203\u1EA1\u1EAD\u1EB7\u1E01\u0105\u2C65\u0250'},
        {'base':'aa','letters':'\uA733'},
        {'base':'ae','letters':'\u00E6\u01FD\u01E3'},
        {'base':'ao','letters':'\uA735'},
        {'base':'au','letters':'\uA737'},
        {'base':'av','letters':'\uA739\uA73B'},
        {'base':'ay','letters':'\uA73D'},
        {'base':'b', 'letters':'\u0062\u24D1\uFF42\u1E03\u1E05\u1E07\u0180\u0183\u0253'},
        {'base':'c', 'letters':'\u0063\u24D2\uFF43\u0107\u0109\u010B\u010D\u00E7\u1E09\u0188\u023C\uA73F\u2184'},
        {'base':'d', 'letters':'\u0064\u24D3\uFF44\u1E0B\u010F\u1E0D\u1E11\u1E13\u1E0F\u0111\u018C\u0256\u0257\uA77A'},
        {'base':'dz','letters':'\u01F3\u01C6'},
        {'base':'e', 'letters':'\u0065\u24D4\uFF45\u00E8\u00E9\u00EA\u1EC1\u1EBF\u1EC5\u1EC3\u1EBD\u0113\u1E15\u1E17\u0115\u0117\u00EB\u1EBB\u011B\u0205\u0207\u1EB9\u1EC7\u0229\u1E1D\u0119\u1E19\u1E1B\u0247\u025B\u01DD'},
        {'base':'f', 'letters':'\u0066\u24D5\uFF46\u1E1F\u0192\uA77C'},
        {'base':'g', 'letters':'\u0067\u24D6\uFF47\u01F5\u011D\u1E21\u011F\u0121\u01E7\u0123\u01E5\u0260\uA7A1\u1D79\uA77F'},
        {'base':'h', 'letters':'\u0068\u24D7\uFF48\u0125\u1E23\u1E27\u021F\u1E25\u1E29\u1E2B\u1E96\u0127\u2C68\u2C76\u0265'},
        {'base':'hv','letters':'\u0195'},
        {'base':'i', 'letters':'\u0069\u24D8\uFF49\u00EC\u00ED\u00EE\u0129\u012B\u012D\u00EF\u1E2F\u1EC9\u01D0\u0209\u020B\u1ECB\u012F\u1E2D\u0268\u0131'},
        {'base':'j', 'letters':'\u006A\u24D9\uFF4A\u0135\u01F0\u0249'},
        {'base':'k', 'letters':'\u006B\u24DA\uFF4B\u1E31\u01E9\u1E33\u0137\u1E35\u0199\u2C6A\uA741\uA743\uA745\uA7A3'},
        {'base':'l', 'letters':'\u006C\u24DB\uFF4C\u0140\u013A\u013E\u1E37\u1E39\u013C\u1E3D\u1E3B\u017F\u0142\u019A\u026B\u2C61\uA749\uA781\uA747'},
        {'base':'lj','letters':'\u01C9'},
        {'base':'m', 'letters':'\u006D\u24DC\uFF4D\u1E3F\u1E41\u1E43\u0271\u026F'},
        {'base':'n', 'letters':'\u006E\u24DD\uFF4E\u01F9\u0144\u00F1\u1E45\u0148\u1E47\u0146\u1E4B\u1E49\u019E\u0272\u0149\uA791\uA7A5'},
        {'base':'nj','letters':'\u01CC'},
        {'base':'o', 'letters':'\u006F\u24DE\uFF4F\u00F2\u00F3\u00F4\u1ED3\u1ED1\u1ED7\u1ED5\u00F5\u1E4D\u022D\u1E4F\u014D\u1E51\u1E53\u014F\u022F\u0231\u00F6\u022B\u1ECF\u0151\u01D2\u020D\u020F\u01A1\u1EDD\u1EDB\u1EE1\u1EDF\u1EE3\u1ECD\u1ED9\u01EB\u01ED\u00F8\u01FF\u0254\uA74B\uA74D\u0275'},
        {'base':'oi','letters':'\u01A3'},
        {'base':'ou','letters':'\u0223'},
        {'base':'oo','letters':'\uA74F'},
        {'base':'p','letters':'\u0070\u24DF\uFF50\u1E55\u1E57\u01A5\u1D7D\uA751\uA753\uA755'},
        {'base':'q','letters':'\u0071\u24E0\uFF51\u024B\uA757\uA759'},
        {'base':'r','letters':'\u0072\u24E1\uFF52\u0155\u1E59\u0159\u0211\u0213\u1E5B\u1E5D\u0157\u1E5F\u024D\u027D\uA75B\uA7A7\uA783'},
        {'base':'s','letters':'\u0073\u24E2\uFF53\u00DF\u015B\u1E65\u015D\u1E61\u0161\u1E67\u1E63\u1E69\u0219\u015F\u023F\uA7A9\uA785\u1E9B'},
        {'base':'t','letters':'\u0074\u24E3\uFF54\u1E6B\u1E97\u0165\u1E6D\u021B\u0163\u1E71\u1E6F\u0167\u01AD\u0288\u2C66\uA787'},
        {'base':'tz','letters':'\uA729'},
        {'base':'u','letters': '\u0075\u24E4\uFF55\u00F9\u00FA\u00FB\u0169\u1E79\u016B\u1E7B\u016D\u00FC\u01DC\u01D8\u01D6\u01DA\u1EE7\u016F\u0171\u01D4\u0215\u0217\u01B0\u1EEB\u1EE9\u1EEF\u1EED\u1EF1\u1EE5\u1E73\u0173\u1E77\u1E75\u0289'},
        {'base':'v','letters':'\u0076\u24E5\uFF56\u1E7D\u1E7F\u028B\uA75F\u028C'},
        {'base':'vy','letters':'\uA761'},
        {'base':'w','letters':'\u0077\u24E6\uFF57\u1E81\u1E83\u0175\u1E87\u1E85\u1E98\u1E89\u2C73'},
        {'base':'x','letters':'\u0078\u24E7\uFF58\u1E8B\u1E8D'},
        {'base':'y','letters':'\u0079\u24E8\uFF59\u1EF3\u00FD\u0177\u1EF9\u0233\u1E8F\u00FF\u1EF7\u1E99\u1EF5\u01B4\u024F\u1EFF'},
        {'base':'z','letters':'\u007A\u24E9\uFF5A\u017A\u1E91\u017C\u017E\u1E93\u1E95\u01B6\u0225\u0240\u2C6C\uA763'}
    ];

    var diacriticsMap = {};
    for (var i=0; i < defaultDiacriticsRemovalMap .length; i++){
        var letters = defaultDiacriticsRemovalMap [i].letters;
        for (var j=0; j < letters.length ; j++){
            diacriticsMap[letters[j]] = defaultDiacriticsRemovalMap [i].base;
        }
    }

    // "what?" version ... http://jsperf.com/diacritics/12
    function removeDiacritics (str) {
        return str.replace(/[^\u0000-\u007E]/g, function(a){ 
           return diacriticsMap[a] || a; 
        });
    }    
    var paragraph = "L'avantage d'utiliser le lorem ipsum est bien     évidemment de pouvoir créer des maquettes ou de remplir un site internet de contenus qui présentent un rendu s'approchant un maximum du rendu final. \n Par défaut lorem ipsum ne contient pas d'accent ni de caractères spéciaux contrairement à la langue française qui en contient beaucoup. C'est sur ce critère que nous proposons une solution avec cet outil qui générant du faux-texte lorem ipsum mais avec en plus, des caractères spéciaux tel que les accents ou certains symboles utiles pour la langue française. \n L'utilisation du lorem standard est facile d’utilisation mais lorsque le futur client utilisera votre logiciel il se peut que certains caractères spéciaux ou qu'un accent ne soient pas codés correctement. \n Cette page a pour but donc de pouvoir perdre le moins de temps possible et donc de tester directement si tous les encodages de base de donnée ou des sites sont les bons de plus il permet de récuperer un code css avec le texte formaté !";
    alert(removeDiacritics(paragraph));

To test my theory I wrote a test in http://jsperf.com/diacritics/12. Results:

Testing in Chrome 28.0.1500.95 32-bit on Windows 8 64-bit:
Using Regexp
4,558 ops/sec ±4.16%. 37% slower
String Builder style
7,308 ops/sec ±4.88%. fastest

Update

Testing in Chrome 33.0.1750 on Windows 8 64-bit:

Using Regexp
5,260 ±1.25% ops/sec 76% slower
Using @skerit version
22,138 ±2.12% ops/sec fastest

Update - 19/03/2014

Adding missing "OE" diacritics.

Update - 27/03/2014

Using a faster way to transverse a string using js - "What?" Version

Update - 14/05/2014

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